South Carolina women's basketball: Rapid Reaction - Queens

South Carolina took care of Queens 121-49 in its last tuneup before the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. Here’s what stood out from the game.

– It’s amazing how the return of one player could change South Carolina’s depth issues. South Carolina functioned just fine while Maddy McDaniel was out, but she takes the second unit to another level. 

McDaniel might be the quickest Gamecock. She can push tempo as well as, if not better than, Raven Johnson, and sees the whole court. Like Johnson, McDaniel makes everyone else more productive. 

South Carolina got 33 points from the bench, the second-highest total of the season. Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda each had strong games, and having a solid point guard helped them.

McDaniel only played 12 minutes as she eases back into game shape, finishing with two points and three assists, but there’s reason for the Gamecocks to feel good about their bench heading to Las Vegas 

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball! 🏀

– With McDaniel still limited, Dawn Staley decided to get an extended look at Ta’Niya Latson at point guard in the second half. Latson was solid, handing out a season-high five assists. South Carolina scored 30 points in the third quarter and 33 in the fourth quarter, so the point guard play must have been okay.

Latson isn’t a natural point guard, and when she is running the offense, her first instinct is always to score. But that’s okay. Latson scored eight points in the fourth quarter and shot 4-5 from the foul line.

If there’s an emergency and Latson has to play point guard in a tight game, she has shown enough for Staley to have confidence in her.

– South Carolina had 56 fast break points. That is a stunning total. South Carolina’s previous high this season was 37 against Bowling Green.

The Gamecocks are not just committed to running the floor; they are committed to sharing the basketball. Five Players had at least three assists on Sunday. When everyone on the team is looking to make the extra pass, that leads to a lot of easy transition baskets.

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball!