South Carolina women's basketball: Adhel Tac gives a glimpse of the future
The game was over a long time ago. Not that the outcome was ever in doubt, but #1 South Carolina was just padding stats in the third against #16 Tennessee Tech.
Everyone had played except for Adhel Tac. The redshirt freshman post has had a bumpy season, and Dawn Staley wanted to get some minutes out of more experienced players Maryam Dauda and Sakima Walker first.
But now it was Tac’s turn. She jogged to the scorer’s table and the horn blew. The crowd at Colonial Life Arena erupted. In the commotion, Tac almost didn’t take off her shooting shirt (she insisted it was because she was trying to find out who she was replacing).
It didn’t matter. Tac was playing in an NCAA Tournament game.
“I was very excited,” Tac said. “Less nervous, honestly. I really didn’t feel any nerves. For me, I was just really pumped up.”
This is technically Tac’s second NCAA Tournament. She was a redshirt freshman last season after she enrolled in January to rehab a knee injury. Tac even got a championship ring, but this time, she is playing.
“I’m really excited,” she said before the first round game. “I was super excited last year, but it’s always different when you’re an active player. Last year was just that feeling of wanting to play, and now that I know I can actually participate, it’s really great.”
Tac scored her first basket less than a minute after she entered. The crowd erupted again. A little over a minute later, Tac caught a lob from fellow freshman Maddy McDaniel and scored again. It was pandemonium.
“I didn’t have any expectations going into the game, didn’t have an idea of how many points I wanted to score, or rebounds, blocks, whatever,” Tac said. “I just wanted to be able to play my game and play good basketball. I’m really glad I was able to do that when I got in.”
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Everyone, including McDaniel and Tac, had visions of a Gamecock future with a lot more of those scoring connections.
“That’s actually the preferred pass for me,” Tac said. “I like to catch a higher pass because I know that I can just try and get up and get it. Maddy threw the perfect pass. We’ve got a lot of those to come.”
Tac finished with six points and two rebounds in five minutes. It was enough to earn an invitation to the interview room after the game, an honor reserved for the stars of the game.
Tac is one of the more cerebral players on the team. She knows the scouting reports and everyone’s role. Even when she isn’t in the game, Tac is constantly communicating with her teammates.
Dawn Staley has raved about how smart Tac is, even comparing her to Aliyah Boston. Tac understands the game so well that she can even explain it to sportswriters. That’s why it was important for Tac to experience last season.
“I wouldn’t probably have considered just how much it takes to get to (a championship),” Tac said. “I’m really grateful that I actually got to experience having a national championship run because now I know what it consists of and what it takes and what I need to bring out of myself and my teammates to win.”
