5 Must-Watch Moments in South Carolina Women’s Basketball vs. No. 7 UConn

South Carolina Faces UConn in a Thrilling Sunday Showdown with ESPN’s College GameDay

As No. 4 South Carolina prepares to host No. 7 UConn this Sunday, the atmosphere is already buzzing with excitement—especially with ESPN’s College GameDay coming to town. Here’s what to expect from this highly anticipated matchup and how you can tune in.

1. Finding Their Rhythm

Over the past week, South Carolina has repeatedly echoed one key theme: “We didn’t play like us against Texas,” and “We just need to play like us.” In the lead-up to the game, Te-Hina Paopao emphasized the importance of getting back to their roots: “We just had to get back in the rhythm of things and the flow of how we are. We just had to get back to our identity.” For South Carolina, playing like themselves means being aggressive, pushing in transition, and making those crucial extra passes that define their style.

2. Guarding Paige Bueckers

South Carolina has been successful in five of their last six encounters with UConn, and there’s one major factor: slowing down Paige Bueckers. Though Bueckers wasn’t around for all those games, the only time UConn found success was in the 2022 National Championship game, where South Carolina struggled to contain her. In that matchup, Destanni Henderson used her speed and physicality to disrupt Bueckers’ flow, limiting her to 14 points on 6-13 shooting.

Last season, Bree Hall took on the task, using her length and athleticism to stay in front of Bueckers. Bueckers still managed 20 points, but she shot just 8-20, most of her scoring coming when the game was already out of hand.

“Familiarity really helps,” said Dawn Staley, head coach of South Carolina. Most likely, Hall will get the assignment again, but Raven Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley could also get a chance to defend Bueckers, especially if Hall needs a break. Johnson’s long arms make her disruptive (as seen in her defense against Caitlin Clark), while Fulwiley’s speed and strength mirror Henderson’s style.

3. Defending Quick Guards

UConn has shown vulnerability against quick and athletic guards. With a sometimes slow perimeter defense and limited rim protection—even with 6’5″ Jana El Aflay—the Huskies have had trouble containing dynamic backcourt players. Notable performances include KK Deans from Ole Miss (17 points), Hannah Hidalgo (29 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists), and Juju Watkins (25 points). In their previous meeting, Paopao had a breakout game against UConn, scoring 21 points on 5-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

Paopao, coming off a stellar performance with 14 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in just 20 minutes, will be a key player to watch as South Carolina looks to exploit UConn’s weakness.

4. Injury Report

While South Carolina doesn’t have to release an official injury report for this non-conference game, it’s known that Ashlyn Watkins is sidelined. Other than her, the rest of the roster is expected to be available.

On the UConn side, they’ll be missing several players: Morgan Cheli is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, Ice Brady is sidelined with a shoulder issue, Ayanna Patterson is out for the season, and Caroline Ducharme remains unavailable this year.

5. Scouting UConn

Despite a number of injuries, this might be the deepest UConn team in recent years. However, head coach Geno Auriemma still primarily relies on his starters, rotating just about seven players. Paige Bueckers continues to lead the way, averaging 18.7 points, while Azzi Fudd is back in form, contributing 12.7 points per game on 47.1% shooting from three.

Sarah Strong, a freshman, has been a revelation for UConn, averaging 16.1 points and leading the team in rebounds (7.8). She’s also making an impact in blocks, steals, and assists.

“They’re pretty talented, as always,” Staley commented. “I think they get more of their stuff that they want to get, and it’s less reliant on just Paige to do her thing. Strong gives them a lot of options.”

UConn does struggle with free-throw attempts (only 10.7 per game) and isn’t a strong rebounding team (with just a +5.2 margin), which could play into South Carolina’s hands, especially after their recent challenges in both areas.

This game marks the final contest between these two powerhouse programs under the current scheduling contract, a makeup for the postponed 2022 game—hence South Carolina hosting in back-to-back seasons.

Scoreboard Watching

In another intriguing matchup, No. 5 LSU takes on No. 3 Texas. Interestingly, South Carolina fans may find themselves rooting for LSU. It brings back memories of 2017, when Kentucky helped South Carolina out by taking down Mississippi State and sending the Gamecocks into a better position.

Game Details

• Teams: No. 4 South Carolina (23-2, 11-1) vs. No. 7 UConn (23-3, 14-0)
• Date/Time: Sunday, February 16, 1:00 PM ET (doors open at 10:30 for ESPN College GameDay)
• Location: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC
• Broadcast: ABC

Don’t miss the action as South Carolina and UConn face off in a game that could have major implications for the postseason!