2024-2025 WBB Team (2022-present)

KingWard

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Feb 15, 2022
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Agreed. She was one of two reasons we were in the game. Tried to do too much down the stretch but didn't have a choice.
I'll never reproach her. She played the entire ballgame and growing urgency drove much of what happened with her. It was extremely unfortunate. I hurt for her because I know she's the type who owns it. But the world needs more people who take on accountability.
 

Prestonyte

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Jun 1, 2022
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Would have been fitting for Thompson to close out her career by hitting five 3 pointers to win a Final Four game but, considering she wasn't used as a weapon during the season, it's a lot to expect from a little used sub!
 
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DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
Jan 30, 2022
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Would have been fitting for Thompson to close out her career by hitting five 3 pointers to win a Final Four game but, considering she wasn't used as a weapon during the season, it's a lot to expect from a little used sub!
She's never shot well when given a chance. We all want her to be a knockdown shooter, but she just isn't. I guess Dawn gave her a shot because Fletcher was such a disaster. So Thompson came in instead of Fletcher and Zia moved over to point. Unfortunately, the lineup wasn't much of an improvement.
 
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DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
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She's never shot well when given a chance. We all want her to be a knockdown shooter, but she just isn't. I guess Dawn gave her a shot because Fletcher was such a disaster. So Thompson came in instead of Fletcher and Zia moved over to point. Unfortunately, the lineup wasn't much of an improvement.
At this point in the season, Dawn should have been shrinking her rotation, not expanding it. Look at the minutes played by LSU yesterday.

Screenshot_20230401_133120_Chrome~2.jpg


Smith and Poa have been contributors off the bench all season and they barely played last night. Mulkey rode her best players hard. Why wouldn't she? There are only two games left.

We should have went with Zia, Boston, Brea, Raven and Cardoso; LA and Breezy subbing for them. They were the seven Dawn turned to when we went down 9 in the 2nd half.
 
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DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
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I don't see where LA has declared yet for the draft. She has 48 hours from her last game to do so. I don't know if she's thinking about it or just waiting for the other freshies to go first. Either way we'll know today.
 
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winloseortie

Joined Feb 21, 2007
Feb 2, 2022
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Dawn will be hitting the portal to fill a few needs. She'll bring in some talent no doubt.
Maybe yes, maybe no. We have a 10 player roster that will be one of the 3 or 4 most talented rosters in the country next year.

We have brought in 10 players in the last decade, Maryland has brought that many there in the last 2 seasons.

Dawn will be looking for fit foremost. She is not on a talent search but looking for a piece maybe two.
 

Gamecock Lincoln

Joined Nov 10, 2007 • Garnet Trust Supporter
Jan 18, 2022
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I don't see where LA has declared yet for the draft. She has 48 hours from her last game to do so. I don't know if she's thinking about it or just waiting for the other freshies to go first. Either way we'll know today.
She's the only one that I can see maybe coming back but I think she'll move on as well
 
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DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
Jan 30, 2022
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We were beaten by one girl. Plain and simple. I didn't think it would be possible against our D but she is that good. Reminds me of Larry Bird when Indiana State had their run.
And just like Indiana State, lost in the final. Devastating. The Hawkeyes have had the same starting lineup for 3 straight years. This was their chance to get that ring.
 
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ConwayGamecock

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Pretty frustrating: LSU played pretty much as well as I expected our Gamecocks to - Iowa's defense could not stop them. Iowa scored their season's average of 85 pts, but gave up nearly 20 more to LSU in the Tigers scoring 102. Iowa shot 50% for the game, but gave up LSU shooting 54%. That was pretty much exactly how I thought OUR game with them would go, but it sure didn't go that way. And just like that, LSU and Mulkey is the top team in the SEC and defending champions....
 
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Sharris

Joined Mar 22, 2016
Jan 31, 2022
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Pretty frustrating: LSU played pretty much as well as I expected our Gamecocks to - Iowa's defense could not stop them. Iowa scored their season's average of 85 pts, but gave up nearly 20 more to LSU in the Tigers scoring 102. Iowa shot 50% for the game, but gave up LSU shooting 54%. That was pretty much exactly how I thought OUR game with them would go, but it sure didn't go that way. And just like that, LSU and Mulkey is the top team in the SEC and defending champions....
They are the National Champions. SC has a large lead in returning talent and had the #2 recruiting class. Until they beat us, the SEC will still go through South Carolina. I was at the game just now and in one of her on-court interviews, Mulkey stated is that it take talent and a little bit of luck and their luck was that they avoided a second matchup with South Carolina. We are not relinquishing anything.
 

ConwayGamecock

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They are the National Champions. SC has a large lead in returning talent and had the #2 recruiting class. Until they beat us, the SEC will still go through South Carolina. I was at the game just now and in one of her on-court interviews, Mulkey stated is that it take talent and a little bit of luck and their luck was that they avoided a second matchup with South Carolina. We are not relinquishing anything.

They are the national champions and the last team standing. RIGHT NOW we have relinquished that. We may reclaim what we set down in future games/seasons, but right now LSU earned what they have, not South Carolina. They deserve it......
 

KingWard

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They are the national champions and the last team standing. RIGHT NOW we have relinquished that. We may reclaim what we set down in future games/seasons, but right now LSU earned what they have, not South Carolina. They deserve it......
Your perspective is the realistic one right now. I hope it doesn't develop this way, but appearances are that the SEC torch has been passed. With respect to the coaches involved, we had every reason to believe that Dawn would catch Mulkey in national championships this weekend. Instead of that, the Dime Store Queen has Dawn doubled up. It's a gut-punch and not what we anticipated or wanted.
 

TN-Gamecock

Joined May 10, 2002
Jan 29, 2022
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Well, now that the National Championship has been crowned, its time to turn to recruiting. Who will be the big (C, PF) recruit for this season? I'm hoping for Blanca Thomas for the center/pf position.

As far as small forward: Joyce Edwards, Toby Fournier.

Wing: Morgan Cheli.

PG: Jaloni Cambridge
 

DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
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Rewatching the LSU/Iowa game, the moment that stood out to me was Mulkey calling a timeout 1:30 into the game with her team trailing 7-3. That's in direct contrast to Dawn this season who seemed OK with slow starts all season. We fell behind Stanford, Tennessee, Georgia early. We actually trailed after the 1st quarter in 3 of our 5 tournament games (South Florida, Maryland, Iowa). It was bound to catch up with us at some point. Dawn ignored the problem, even the fan base ignored it for the most part. The starting lineup should have been addressed.

It's nothing something new, either. It is Dawn's one flaw. Or biggest anyway. In the 2015 Final Four, the score was 15-3 before A'ja Wilson entered the game.

A'ja1.JPG

You have the GOAT on your team and she doesn't start! She only played 24 minutes. In that time, A'ja was 8-11 from the field, grabbed 9 rebounds, blocked 2 shots. She didn't commit a foul, so she wasn't in foul trouble.

Carolina lost by ONE point. Don't you think A'ja starting the game would have mattered? Elem Ibiam put up a Saxton-esque stat line of 0 points and 1 rebound as a starter. Dawn loves her veterans.

Thankfully, that was Breanna Stewart's senior season, so we can't say not starting A'ja cost us a national title. UCONN was beating anyone they played that season.

The whole game is on Youtube. Interesting to watch the intro because Dawn is shown talking to the team and she says "depth" is the difference between Carolina and Notre Dame.



Depth is important, but not as much as Dawn seems to think. LSU had zero depth and won it all. Carolina had zero depth in 2017 and won it all.

The key to winning national titles is maximizing the talent you do have. Playing too many players, especially average ones, only serves to dilute your talent.

Dawn is a great coach, but no coach is perfect. I'm looking forward to the 23-24 season, in large part, because Dawn won't feel obligated to play veterans; they aren't many.
 

Gamekem

Joined Apr 3, 2019
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Boston fouled twice with no calls and get call for the personal with flop by the same player who fouled her. The game changed at this moment. This plus the Iowa hook that somehow gave Boston a 2nd foul took our best player out of the game.
 

DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
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Boston fouled twice with no calls and get call for the personal with flop by the same player who fouled her. The game changed at this moment. This plus the Iowa hook that somehow gave Boston a 2nd foul took our best player out of the game.

Good point. At the same time, though, Cardoso and Amihere were outstanding in the 2nd quarter. They got us back into the game at halftime.

Unfortunately, the combination of Fletcher and Saxton were absolutely atrocious to start the 3rd quarter. In mere minutes, Iowa built the lead back up to 9.

USCC4.JPG


Dawn should have started Cardoso and Johnson in the 3rd. We would have won the game, even with the bad calls against Aliyah.
 

Gamekem

Joined Apr 3, 2019
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Good point. At the same time, though, Cardoso and Amihere were outstanding in the 2nd quarter. They got us back into the game at halftime.

Unfortunately, the combination of Fletcher and Saxton were absolutely atrocious to start the 3rd quarter. In mere minutes, Iowa built the lead back up to 9.

View attachment 324709


Dawn should have started Cardoso and Johnson in the 3rd. We would have won the game, even with the bad calls against Aliyah.
Yes, but Aliyah couldn't be Aliyah with the bad calls. She was second guessing herself and she wasn't allowed to be her dominant self. The team responded well but when our best player is pushed out the game it changes everything else for the team, especially on the defensive end.

I would argue that 10-12 minutes without Boston was worth way more than the 4 points that decided the game and then the timid level she had to play afterwards changed the game.
 

DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
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Yes, but Aliyah couldn't be Aliyah with the bad calls. She was second guessing herself and she wasn't allowed to be her dominant self. The team responded well but when our best player is pushed out the game it changes everything else for the team, especially on the defensive end.

I would argue that 10-12 minutes without Boston was worth way more than the 4 points that decided the game and then the timid level she had to play afterwards changed the game.
I don't disagree with you that Aliyah playing 10 minutes is worth 4 points. I'm only saying that even with her missing those minutes we still could have won.
 

DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
Jan 30, 2022
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And Cardoso is officially back …


Is she accepting blame for the game Friday? She was our best player! I like the fire, whatever she means.

I have to say watching Cardoso interact with the fans, she strikes me as someone who is enjoying the college experience, at USC anyway. So I'm not surprised by she's coming back. Is her class eligible for a 5th year? She might even come back for another one.
 

CockyGirl

Joined Oct 13, 2015 • Garnet Trust Supporter
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Is she accepting blame for the game Friday? She was our best player! I like the fire, whatever she means.

I have to say watching Cardoso interact with the fans, she strikes me as someone who is enjoying the college experience, at USC anyway. So I'm not surprised by she's coming back. Is her class eligible for a 5th year? She might even come back for another one.
No idea what she means but I would assume she knows she has things to improve upon. Whatever the reason I’m just glad she’s coming back!
 

USCEDGE

Joined Mar 5, 2019
Feb 5, 2022
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Boston fouled twice with no calls and get call for the personal with flop by the same player who fouled her. The game changed at this moment. This plus the Iowa hook that somehow gave Boston a 2nd foul took our best player out of the game.

Yep! Two fouls that should have never been called. Those two bogus fouls changed the whole complexion of the game. I don't normally blame the officials but this was disgusting......both calls!
 

DarkCock

Joined Jan 21, 2006
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OK, it's getting kind of strange we haven't heard from Zia and LA. The deadline has passed for filing paperwork for the draft, so that decision has already been made. Not sure what the delay in announcing is about.
 

Gamekem

Joined Apr 3, 2019
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OK, it's getting kind of strange we haven't heard from Zia and LA. The deadline has passed for filing paperwork for the draft, so that decision has already been made. Not sure what the delay in announcing is about.
Perhaps there is some type of announcement video or they are finalizing information with their agents for the pros.
 

Gamekem

Joined Apr 3, 2019
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When is the final day to decide? or has it passed already?
The deadline is 48 hours after their last game day. So whatever their decision was at 12:00 am Apr 3rd is finalized but we the public still don't what their decision was. Considering there has been no birdie tweet I just assume no one is staying but honestly who knows.
 
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winloseortie

Joined Feb 21, 2007
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Transfer portal SEC News worth knowing. Lot of movement already but these 5 are notable in their leaving. They leave gaping holes in their programs that did NOT make the NCAA Tournament
OUT
Ark. Erynn Barnum 6’2” post 14 ppg
Aub. Aicha Coulibaly F 16 & 6
UF KK Deans G 14 ppg
UK Jada Walker G 13 ppg
Mizzou Lauren Hansen G 13ppg

IN
Kennedy Todd Williams starter at UNC to Ole Miss 6’0” F 13 & 5
Destinee Wells from Belmont to Tennessee 5’8” G She was the Mid Major player of the year averaged 19.5 ppg & 5 assists shot 45% from 3pt

Additional info

TIllman Tech which had their second winning season in 20 years looks to be almost completely leveled. 4 starters graduating (2 have Covid years possible) and 2 key subs in the transfer portal.
They literally have no incoming recruiting class
At present they 4 players on the roster for next year
 
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winloseortie

Joined Feb 21, 2007
Feb 2, 2022
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Duke got Camilla Emsbo, who on the surface would have been perfect for us. 6’5” post player who graduated from Yale. Ivy League does not allow 5th year players. Averaged 14 & 10. Would have been Kamilla and Camilla