(WSPA) – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley and five Gamecocks were recognized by the SEC, matching a program record originally set in 2015.
Kamilla Cardoso was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in addition to being named to the All-SEC First Team. The senior became the fifth-straight Gamecock to be named Defensive Player of the Year and the seventh in the last nine seasons. In advanced metrics, Cardoso is sixth in the nation in player defensive rating (68.4).
Guards Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao and forward Ashlyn Watkins claimed spots on the All-SEC Second Team.
Johnson is third in the SEC with five assists per game while her 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio in ninth in the country. The sophomore has nearly doubled her scoring average from last season with career-best shooting percentages overall and from three-point range. Johnson is currently seventh in the SEC in steals with 2.1 per game.
Paopao is the country’s top three-point percentage shooter, hitting a career-high 48.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Oregon transfer is second in the SEC with 2.4 made threes per game in addition to being tenth in the SEC with 3.8 assists, and 24th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.5. The senior is the team’s top scorer against ranked opponents with 15 points per game.
Watkins has been a huge presence off the bench in her sophomore season, ranked 11th in the SEC in rebounds per game with 7.2, and second in the conference, 17th in the country, in blocks with 2.4 per game. Watkins has doubled her freshman season average with 10 points per game and is shooting 58.9% from the field.
Kamilla Cardoso was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in addition to being named to the All-SEC First Team. The senior became the fifth-straight Gamecock to be named Defensive Player of the Year and the seventh in the last nine seasons. In advanced metrics, Cardoso is sixth in the nation in player defensive rating (68.4).
Guards Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao and forward Ashlyn Watkins claimed spots on the All-SEC Second Team.
Johnson is third in the SEC with five assists per game while her 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio in ninth in the country. The sophomore has nearly doubled her scoring average from last season with career-best shooting percentages overall and from three-point range. Johnson is currently seventh in the SEC in steals with 2.1 per game.
Paopao is the country’s top three-point percentage shooter, hitting a career-high 48.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Oregon transfer is second in the SEC with 2.4 made threes per game in addition to being tenth in the SEC with 3.8 assists, and 24th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.5. The senior is the team’s top scorer against ranked opponents with 15 points per game.
Watkins has been a huge presence off the bench in her sophomore season, ranked 11th in the SEC in rebounds per game with 7.2, and second in the conference, 17th in the country, in blocks with 2.4 per game. Watkins has doubled her freshman season average with 10 points per game and is shooting 58.9% from the field.