South Carolina women's basketball: Checking the locker room vibes as the Gamecocks seek back-to-back titles
On Thursday, the vibe in South Carolina’s locker room was typically boisterous. The daycare has matured only slightly.
Players were making TikToks, shouting at each other, and climbing the lockers. You know, the normal gameday-eve mood.
The freshmen were taking it all in. The returning players handled the scene like veterans, while some of the seniors were trying to soak in as much of their final tournament as possible.
Redshirt junior Maryma Dauda encapsulated almost all of the stages. She was on Arkansas’ 2022 tournament team but was redshirting due to an injury. That season, Arkansas was a 10 seed that lost to Utah in a first round game played in Austin, TX.
That makes this experience almost completely new: she’s an active player on a favored team playing at home. And she’s loving every moment of it.
“Just being in the moment and being present,” she said. “It’s been everything I hoped it would be and more.”
Like Dauda, Adhel Tac experienced her first NCAA tournament from the sidelines. She got a ring last season as a member of the team, but did not play while she rehabbed a knee injury. Tac said that experience gave her an invaluable chance to learn what it takes to win.
“I was super excited last year but it’s always different when you’re an active player,” Tac said. “What I learned that I wouldn’t have considered is how much it takes. I’m really grateful that I got to experience having a national championship run because now I know what it consists of and what it takes.”
MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson were freshmen last season and both had some huge performances during the tournament. They have nearly opposite personalities – Fulwiley is quiet and reserved (no really) while Johnson is goofy and rambunctious.
They’ve always been that way, but it still felt different this season. Fulwiley seemed more focused, and Johnson’s confidence blossomed, evidenced by how she ordered her teammates around while shooting a new episode of “Tea Time with Tessa.”
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Cooper Flagg
Will play vs. Mount St. Mary's
- 2New
Deion Sanders
CU coach updates spring proposal
- 3
Game times, TV
NCAA Saturday tip times announced
- 4
Tre Donaldson
Charles Barkley sends Auburn message
- 5
Drake fans
Taunt SEC fans
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“Definitely. I’m very motivated,” Fulwiley said. “Now that I know how much it means and how much we need to win it makes me want to go out there and just do anything even more.”
Stay on top of all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer today!
“It’s different because I’m more prepared than last year,” Johnson said.
Joyce Edwards tried to watch the men’s tournament on her phone, but got continuously interrupted by people with questions. She has never attended a tournament game before because she was always still playing soccer.
“I’m excited. I feel like I’m nervous before every game so that doesn’t necessarily change,” Edwards said. “This is why I came to South Carolina. You come to win the national championship.”
Maddy McDaniel sat quietly at the edge of the locker room ###
“Just super excited and super happy just to be in this position,” McDaniel said. “I can’t wait. I can’t wait. I’m so excited.
And then there were the seniors. Bree Hall and Sania Feagin managed to avoid the locker room chaos. They spoke at the podium in the interview room where they displayed veteran cool.
“The biggest thing is people are going to come for our necks and we have to be prepared for every game,” Hall said. “We cannot take any breaks. Everybody is coming for the same thing. We also have a bigger target on our back because we won last year, and going back-to-back would be a very big deal.”
“I agree,” said Feagin. “Take one game at a time.”
