South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch vs. North Carolina

South Carolina women’s basketball faces North Carolina on Thursday night in Atlanta as a final tuneup before the season starts. Here are five things to watch for.

1. Do It Again

There was a lot to like from the exhibition win over Anderson: Madina Okot’s versatility, Agot Makeer’s defense and playmaking, Joyce Edwards’ dominance, Adhel Tac’s near double-double… and so on.

But it all came with an asterisk – it came against a Division II team. South Carolina was supposed to dominate a severely overmatched opponent. 

The Tar Heels will provide a much more accurate measuring stick. Neither team is going to open up the full playbook, but the talent will be fairly even.

The two players I’ll be watching the closest are Okot and Makeer. They were stellar against Anderson. How close to that are they against North Carolina?

“I want us as aggressive because some of us were aggressive shooting the basketball,” Dawn Staley said. “I don’t want to take away from them.”

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2. Homecomings

Thursday’s game in Atlanta is a homecoming for seniors Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson, who won a high school national championship at Westlake High. Johnson is originally from Atlanta, while Latson grew up in Florida before transferring to Westlake.

Aside from giving the seniors a homecoming, the exhibition takes advantage of the relaxed NCAA rules regarding preseason scrimmages. Previously, programs were allowed to hold a public scrimmage against a non-Division I opponent and a secret scrimmage against a Division I opponent, but they needed a waiver to play a public scrimmage against a Division I opponent.

Now, programs are allowed to play two scrimmages, whether they are public or private, against programs of any division without needing a waiver. South Carolina opted for two public scrimmages, while North Carolina still played a traditional “secret scrimmage” against Tennessee.

Thursday’s exhibition also provides players with a chance to make NIL money, something Staley has emphasized with her scheduling.

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3. Threes

South Carolina shot just 4-18 from three against Anderson. Dawn Staley wasn’t too worried, noting that they only ran a couple of their offensive actions and thus didn’t set up threes in the normal offensive flow. 

That being said, Tessa Johnson was only 1-5 and Ta’Niya Latson was 0-2. Nobody from the bench hit a three, going a combined 0-5. 

“I’d like to see Tessa be a little bit more aggressive offensively,” Staley said. “If we could just bring our practice habits to games, we’ll be all right offensively.”

It would certainly be nice to shoot a little better before the games start to count for real.

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4. More Maryam

Staley wanted to get some extended minutes for Edwards and Okot against Anderson, and that came at the expense of Maryam Dauda. 

Dauda still ended up playing 19 minutes, but only six in the first half. Those second-half minutes don’t have the same intensity when you are up by (checks notes) 60 or more points. Don’t be surprised if Dauda gets some early playing time on Thursday.

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5. Scouting the Tar Heels

North Carolina’s roster has almost entirely turned over since these two teams played two seasons ago. The Tar Heels’ top three scorers from last season exhausted their eligibility, leaving North Carolina with a new look in the frontcourt.

Senior Nyla Harris transferred in from Louisville, where she averaged 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds over the last two seasons. Sophomore Blanca Thomas played less than 11 minutes per game as a freshman, averaging 2.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. Her role should increase this season.

Junior point guard Reniya Kelly averaged 9.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last season when she was second-team All-ACC. She is North Carolina’s leading returning scorer. Senior guard Indya Nivar averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, making her the Tar Heels’ top returning rebounder.

Sophomore guard Lanie Grant averaged 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. Freshman Nyla Brooks was a McDonald’s All-American and the player of the year in Virginia. She was the 13th-ranked player in the class.

It’s an exhibition, and South Carolina still doesn’t have its full playbook ready, but that doesn’t mean the Gamecocks aren’t trying to win.

“We’re playing it in public and playing another D1 school to win, to see where we are, to see where some pieces can help us throughout the year,” Staley said. “We need to see some chemistry, see some players play well together.”

The Ws
Who: No. 2 South Carolina vs. No. 11 North Carolina
When: 6 p.m. ET, Thursday, Oct. 30
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Ga.
Watch: There is no TV or video streaming for the game. There will be a radio broadcast on 98.5 FM WOMG in Columbia.

🏀 Attention: GamecockCentral is at the game in Atlanta to provide updates. Follow along on the NEW Women’s Basketball Forum (beginning approximately 30 minutes before tip-off). Don’t miss any of the action!