South Carolina Women’s Basketball: Key Factors to Watch Against Duke

In a live update, we’re breaking down the latest from South Carolina women’s basketball as they face off against Duke in the upcoming Sweet 16. Dawn Staley spoke candidly about her team’s recent struggles, particularly in their three-point shooting.

When asked about Carolina’s performance on Saturday, where they missed several three-pointers, Staley raised an eyebrow and responded, “The blueprint? People have been playing us like that ever since we had Aliyah Boston,” she said. “It’s nothing new. We lead the country in points in the paint, so they clog the paint. They did a good job executing their game plan, and we did a poor job at shot selection. We’ll be better. We just need to take better shots.”

In other news, the shooting woes have been a consistent theme in the Birmingham Regional 2. On Friday, the combined shooting performance of Duke, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland was abysmal — a total of 88 made shots out of 240 attempts, amounting to a low 36.7% shooting percentage. The Duke vs North Carolina game, with a 47-38 scoreline, set a new low for combined points in a Sweet 16, breaking the previous record by 8 points.

When I spoke with one of the top shooters in Birmingham, I asked if the venue, Legacy Arena, played a part in the poor shooting. The response was insightful: “I think it was just the rhythm of things. The topic I’m not supposed to talk about (the officiating) kind of took us out of the rhythm of shooting and getting into the flow of things. I felt like the rhythm wasn’t there because there was so much stoppage in the game. We couldn’t really find a flow and rhythm. Today, we know we need to lock in,” she said. “It’s a little hard because we don’t have a lot of time here to shoot the ball and practice on the rims.”

Looking ahead to the next matchup, we turn to the Duke Blue Devils, a team that was expected to have a potent offense this season — a narrative that may have been overstated. While Duke remains a defensive powerhouse, their offense has struggled at times, especially against stronger teams. The Blue Devils average just 73.1 points per game, shooting 44.4% from the field and hitting 34% from beyond the arc.

Much like South Carolina, Duke gets significant contributions from its bench. The Blue Devils’ Joyce Edwards leads the bench with 13.0 points per game, though she has struggled with double-teams in the tournament. Toby Fournier, who averages 13.1 points per game, missed Duke’s second-round game due to illness but returned for their Sweet 16 matchup. However, Fournier only played 17 minutes and scored just three points. Meanwhile, Ashlon Jackson contributes 12.4 points per game and can be a three-point threat, hitting 37.6% from deep. Oluchi Okananwa, the ACC Tournament MVP, averages 10.2 points per game.

As for Duke’s defense, it remains their primary strength. The Blue Devils give up just 56.6 points per game, holding opponents to only 38.6% shooting. Staley offered her analysis: “Their defense is pretty stingy. They’ve disrupted, they’ve created some offense from their defense, and they do a really good job of hitting timely shots. They’re going to play for 40 minutes, and they’re going to disrupt.”

Now, all eyes turn to the upcoming matchup between South Carolina and Duke:

• Who: #1 South Carolina vs #2 Duke
• When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 30
• Where: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
• Watch: ABC
• Sendoff: 9:45 AM CT, Westin Hotel, 221 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N

Stay tuned for more updates as we approach this exciting clash between two powerhouse teams!