South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - Alabama

South Carolina opens its SEC title defense by hosting Alabama on New Year’s Day. Here are five things to watch for.

1. Availability

South Carolina will be without senior guard Ta’Niya Latson. Latson was listed as OUT on the SEC Availability report on Wednesday night. 

Latson is averaging 16.9 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. She is shooting 51.9% from the floor and 41.7% from three, both career-highs. She is South Carolina’s second-leading scorer and a crucial part of its transition game.

Incoming freshman forward Alicia Tournebize has not joined the Gamecocks yet and was also listed as OUT. Chloe Kitts, who tore her ACL in the preseason, is also OUT. That leaves South Carolina with nine available players.

Alabama guard Eris Lester is OUT. Lester has played sparingly this season after suffering a season-ending leg injury in March.

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2. How do the Gamecocks replace Latson?

Replacing Latson will be a group effort. South Carolina doesn’t have another player with the same profile as Latson. Whoever Staley puts on the court brings different strengths and weaknesses. That gives her options.

“Everybody on this team, when their jersey number is called, they’re going to be ready,” Raven Johnson said. 

After Latson was injured, guard Agot Makeer started the second half against Providence. She 

responded with 10 points and 10 rebounds, her first career double-double. When Tessa Johnson missed the NC Central game with an illness, Staley went big and started post Adhel Tac.

Sophomore guard Maddy McDaniel is another option. Even if she doesn’t start, McDaniel will see increased playing time with Latson out. She credited Johnson with preparing her for more responsibility.

“I’ve learned a lot about her being calm, being the coach on the floor, and listening to what Coach says and then repeating it to us and making sure we’re all in the right spots,” McDaniel said.

3. Threes

This isn’t earth-shattering analysis, but the team that is more effective from behind the arc has the best chance to win on Thursday.

Alabama relies heavily on three-pointers, but the Crimson Tide wants to take good shots. They are top 60 in the country in made threes per game, but only 138th in attempts. It is imperative for South Carolina’s perimeter defenders to stay glued to their player.

South Carolina only makes 6.2 threes per game, but behind Tessa Johnson’s 49.2% shooting, they hit 38.5% of their attempts, 12th in the country. Unlike Alabama, South Carolina uses its three-point shooting more for spacing than as a key part of its offense. 

Latson is South Carolina’s second most prolific and effective shooter. Without her, South Carolina’s shooting becomes shaky behind Johnson. South Carolina has had some clunkers from three this season, including 1-10 against Duke and 4-15 at USF. If Alabama doubles South Carolina’s bigs, the Gamecocks have to knock down their shots.

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4. Welcome to the SEC grind

Beginning with the 2014 regular season championship, South Carolina has claimed either the SEC regular season or tournament title every year but 2019. Eight times it was a sweep.

Despite that dominance, it has rarely been easy. It is two games a week for the next two months, with hardly any gimmes.

“There’s no hiding from it,” Staley said. “You’ve got to take it straight on. It isn’t for the faint of heart; it is for programs that want to win national championships. If you play in the SEC, it affords you to compete for national championships.”

Staley said that the Gamecocks are excited to get conference play started, especially Raven Johnson.

“Our conference, it’s the best,” Johnson said. “Every night you’ve got to bring your all and it’s a good game every night.”

5. Scouting the Crimson Tide

Alabama had to replace its top three scorers from last season, with Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye off to the WNBA, but the Tide have barely missed a step.

Jessica Timmons missed all of last season recovering from a knee injury, but she has returned to average 15.5 points and shoot 44.4% from three. Essence Cody seems to have made the transition from being a supporting player to a team leader, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds.

Despite the different faces, Staley said that not much has changed in the challenges Alabama presents.

“I think they have silent intangibles,” she said. “They play like an SEC team, which is gritty, which is hard-nosed. They find a way to decrease your momentum throughout the 40 minutes. We’ve had success, but it’s taken a really long time for us to create some separation. And we’re going to this game thinking the same thing. Like, it’s been hard. So, hopefully, we can use this place (Colonial Life Arena) as a home-court advantage like we have in the past and get our first SEC win.”

Alabama plays four out and shoots a lot of threes. It’s the same philosophy Kristy Curry has employed for several years, and Alabama has enjoyed the most successful stretch in program history as a result.

As expected, Alabama’s weakness is guarding the paint against big posts like Madina Okot. Cody is 6-4, but she isn’t a typical low-post player. Sophomore forward Naomi Jones, who started while Cody was injured, is a little more of a traditional inside presence. 

Other than Cody and Jones, Alabama doesn’t play any other forwards significant minutes. They will have to guard Okot and Joyce Edwards without fouling, or it could be a long afternoon for Alabama.

South Carolina has beaten Alabama 23 straight times, and Staley has never lost to Alabama.

The Ws

Who: #3 South Carolina (13-1) vs Alabama (14-0)
When: 2:00 ET, Thursday, January 1
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC
Watch: SEC Network+

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