South Carolina Women’s Basketball Offers Glimpse of Future in NCAA Victory Over Tennessee Tech

In the middle of the third quarter of No. 1 seed South Carolina’s dominant 108-48 victory over No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, head coach Dawn Staley made a bold move — she swapped out all five of her starters. Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall, Chloe Kitts, and Sania Feagin were replaced by the second unit: Maddy McDaniel, Tessa Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Joyce Edwards, and Maryam Dauda.

Staley explained the change was a combination of factors: the team’s slow start to the second half, where they managed just three points in the first 3.5 minutes, and her desire to give the bench a chance to play together in a live game. “We were up big and lended an opportunity for us to get our second unit in,” Staley said. “They play a lot together in practice. So I wanted to see what they would do in that situation and see if they could energize us.”

And energize they did. The bench unit sparked a 22-8 run to close out the third quarter, giving South Carolina an 85-37 lead as they entered the final frame.

While Staley’s current starters are likely to see more time as the tournament progresses, Friday’s lineup change provided a glimpse into the future of South Carolina’s women’s basketball program.

“It’s amazing, I get the chills thinking about that,” Feagin said, reflecting on the performance of the bench.

“They went out there and stayed disciplined. They went out there, they played hard, they attacked, they made the easy plays, they passed the ball a lot,” Feagin continued.

According to CBB Analytics, this was just the fifth time this season that the combination of McDaniel, Tessa Johnson, Fulwiley, Edwards, and Dauda had been on the court together. Despite practicing frequently, this lineup had played just 11 minutes together in actual games.

“That’s who I practice with in practice every day,” Edwards said. “So it was nothing different, but it just felt good out there with them. We have a lot of chemistry because we practice together all the time. So we just came out and executed.”

The bench played a significant role in South Carolina’s success, contributing 66 points, the most in an NCAA Tournament game since 2000. Edwards led the way with 22 points, while Tessa Johnson played a team-high 24 minutes. Edwards followed closely with 22 minutes, typical for them both, who average 21 minutes per game. For McDaniel, however, playing 18 minutes — near her career-high — was an invaluable experience.

“It was definitely a good feeling to get out there and get my feet wet and be able to showcase my talents,” McDaniel said.

Fulwiley is confident that the bench unit has the potential to be special, particularly with freshmen like Edwards and McDaniel showing their talent this season. “I’m just scared for our opponents next year,” Fulwiley said. “We take pride in our role. We don’t like to downplay it at all. We just lift each other up, because we know next year that’ll be us in those (starters’) shoes.”

While Friday’s game was far from a passing-of-the-torch moment, it was a preview of what could be a new chapter for South Carolina women’s basketball as they look ahead. With the bench’s impressive performance, combined with returning veterans like Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, the future looks bright.

“It just shows how deep we are and it’s nice to see a little glimpse of next year because, lowkey, next year is soon,” Kitts said, a sentiment that surely resonates with Gamecock fans eager to see what’s next for this powerhouse program.