South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - Auburn

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1. Don’t forget me

The Auburn game comes sandwiched between UConn and LSU, two games that have been circled on the calendar for years. Most opponents in this spot would be in danger of being overlooked, but especially an Auburn team that has lost 13 straight to South Carolina and got blown out 94-42 when they met about a month ago.

Will South Carolina play with its usual focus and energy or might the Gamecocks be peeking ahead to this weekend?

Auburn won three straight games before dropping a heartbreaker to Arkansas on Sunday, and after an injury-plagued few weeks in December and early January, the Tigers are healthy again. They should pose more of a challenge this time around.

“I brought up the fact that the score was lopsided the first time we played them,” Dawn Staley said. “It more than likely won’t be that way. That’s a way of getting them to think about what’s in front of them. They don’t give off that they are thinking about LSU even if they’re thinking about LSU.”

South Carolina had a day off after the UConn game, and then got back to its normal routine. That included their normal 6:00 am practice, even though Staley offered to move practice to the afternoon.

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2. Point guard

Kierra Fletcher started against UConn but only played the first four minutes. Raven Johnson played the next 36 minutes in the best game of her career and was a stud on both ends of the court. It firmly established what had become apparent in recent weeks: “Hollywood” is PG1.

So will Staley move Johnson into the starting lineup? No chance.

“I was clear with Kierra. She’s not playing bad, it’s just Raven is playing some incredible basketball that we’re trying to take advantage of,” Staley said.

She was pleased with how Fletcher handled the temporary demotion, relaying a conversation the pair had right before the third quarter began.

“I don’t think she knew anybody saw her, one of our coaches saw her say to Raven, ‘It’s yours. Go out there and run the team,’” Staley said.

3. Let Zia Cooke

Zia Cooke hasn’t scored in double figures in the last three games. She has shot just 6-35 (17.1%) during that span, including some ugly misses against UConn. She took a beating in that game but still played over 39 minutes.

Cooke had 10 points against Auburn in the first game but only played 19 minutes. She shot 4-8. Including 1-3 from behind the arc. 

It would be nice to see a similar stat line Thursday night. She needs to hit a few shots, get her rhythm back, and hopefully rest up before Sunday’s game. LSU figures to be another physical opponent, and South Carolina could really use Cooke’s shot-making to spread the floor.

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4. Wrapping up UConn

After Geno Auriemma suggested that how South Carolina played defense “isn’t basketball,” Staley shot back Tuesday night. She expanded on her comments Wednesday. Here is what she said (reporters’ questions have been condensed for clarity):

Did she address it with the team?

“I just don’t like narratives that could hurt us in the future. That’s why I addressed it. If it was just a one off, and I thought it was the end of it, but I don’t think it’s the end of it. If we have to play them again, that’s out there. I just want people to know that this is us, this is how we play. We can’t change at this point. I wouldn’t change, even if everybody fouled out. I wouldn’t change how we play and how we approach the game. We’ve had to make adjustments to people along the way. I mean, pivot. We had to pivot. Everybody’s got to pivot at some point, but don’t bring people down in the process. I have never said one derogatory word about UConn or anybody that’s beat us over the years. I’ve only said that they are the standard and I continue to say they are the standard of college women’s basketball on the court.”

Does she expect to discuss the matter with Auriemma?

“He said his piece. I’m gonna say my piece and I’m gonna protect our program and our team to make sure that they’re okay. They’re okay from a play standpoint because they play. They understand that. From a human being standpoint, to see your name, to see your play described as that, it can play on their psyche. I’m going to make sure it doesn’t and that we come out and do what we’ve been doing. The habits that we’ve created, we’re going to continue.”

Is it tiring to keep having to defend her players?

“I don’t necessarily think it gets tiring, of doing and saying the right thing. I never get tired of that at all.”

Was she surprised by Auriemma’s comments?

“He’s able to say what he needs to say, he can assess the game as he needs to assess it, but at the same time there are other players, on our team particularly, that get whatever he felt his players were getting. We get that every single game. I don’t mention it. I mention the double and triple teams, I don’t mention the physicality of it. We play physical basketball. If we can dish it out, then we surely should be able to take it.”

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5. Scouting the Tigers

Honesty Scott-Grayson did not play against South Carolina last time, although Staley said they were prepared for her. Scott-Grayson helps take the pressure off Aicha Coulibaly and gives the Tigers a solid one-two punch. 

They are the only two Tigers averaging double-figure scoring, so Auburn looks drastically different if one of them is out. It wasn’t a coincidence that the three-game winning streak occurred when they both got healthy.

“She gives them another option in their offense to put some points on the scoreboard,” Staley said. “They defend well, they change defenses, they are quick, they’re athletic. They’re hard to keep in front.”

The Ws

Who: #1 South Carolina 23-0, 10-0) at Auburn (13-9, 3-7)

When: 8:00 ET, Thursday, February 9

Where: Neville Arena, Auburn, AL

Watch: SEC Network+

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