Maryam Dauda Shines in South Carolina’s Victory Over Former Team, Arkansas, Earning Praise from Dawn Staley

South Carolina’s 95-55 Win Over Arkansas; Maryam Dauda Shines Against Former Team

In an exciting turn of events, South Carolina’s women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley had a feeling that Maryam Dauda might be extra nervous ahead of Thursday’s game. The reason? Dauda, a former Arkansas player, was facing her old team for the first time.

Dauda, who transferred from Arkansas to South Carolina, had spent two seasons with the Razorbacks. In her freshman year, she played 11 minutes per game, averaging 3.5 points. Her role grew in her sophomore season, as she played 28 minutes per game and scored 10.1 points. Now, at South Carolina, she’s averaging just 6.1 minutes and 1.7 points per game.

But Thursday’s game against Arkansas was a different story. No. 6 South Carolina (24-3, 12-1 SEC) rolled to a dominant 95-55 victory over Arkansas (9-19, 2-11) at Colonial Life Arena, and Dauda played a crucial part. She finished with 9 points and almost secured a double-double, grabbing 8 rebounds.

Coach Staley shared her thoughts on Dauda’s performance, saying, “I was happy for Maryam. Obviously, it’s hard facing your former team, but I thought she looked more relaxed than any time during the season, and she had reason to be nervous playing her former team.”

At the beginning of the season, Dauda’s role was a bit uncertain. Standing at 6-foot-4, she had the ability to play as a forward, but she could also stretch the floor with her 3-point shooting. The situation shifted when Ashlyn Watkins was sidelined due to a season-ending injury on January 5. With one fewer player in front of her, Dauda’s minutes increased, but her offensive game still struggled to find rhythm.

In her first 12 SEC games, Dauda had only accumulated 11 points in 67 minutes of play. However, on Thursday, she came off the bench just under two minutes into the third quarter, quickly making her presence felt. Within a minute, she grabbed an offensive rebound and went 1-for-1 from beyond the arc, 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, and 3-for-5 from the field.

With only three regular-season games remaining before postseason play, Coach Staley remains optimistic. She believes that it’s never too late for Dauda to step up.

Staley commented, “She just looked calm, and I hope that this performance will allow her to help us. There’s something there, there are skills. She rebounds the basketball. It’s just sometimes she probably wants to play perfectly and do all the right things, and sometimes that gets in the way. I’m hoping this is it, that she can end up helping us somewhere down the line.”

Time will tell if this performance marks a turning point for Dauda as the Gamecocks prepare for the postseason.