South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - No. 7 UConn

No. 4 South Carolina plays host to no. 7 UConn and ESPN’s College GameDay on Sunday. Find out how to watch and what to watch for.

1. Play like us(c)
I’ve lost track of how many times over the past week I’ve heard these two things: “We didn’t play like us against Texas” and “We just need to play like us.”

Cue Te-Hina Paopao.

“We just had to get back in the rhythm of things and the flow of how we are,” she said on Friday. “We just had to get back to our identity.”

What is playing like South Carolina? Being aggressive, scoring in transition, and making extra passes.

2. Guarding Paige
South Carolina has won five of its last six games against UConn. Paige Bueckers wasn’t around for all of those games, but it’s not a coincidence that the only game UConn won was also the only game where South Carolina was unable to slow her down.

In the 2022 national championship game, South Carolina used Destanni Henderson, who was smaller but quicker and stronger, to get into Bueckers’ body and make it hard to even get the ball. She finished with 14 points on 6-13 shooting.

Last season, used Bree Hall, a long, rangy athlete, to stay in front of Bueckers. She finished with 20 points, but only shot 8-20 and did most of her damage in the fourth quarter after the game was over.

Those aren’t bad games, but anytime you can make a career 53% shooter miss over half her shots, you’re doing something right.

“Familiarity really helps,” Staley said.

Hall will most likely get the call again. But if Staley wants to put Hall on Sarah Strong, or needs to give her a rest, don’t be surprised if Raven Johnson or MiLaysia Fulwiley get a shot. Johnson’s long arms allow her to be disruptive (see Clark, Caitlin), while Fulwiley is most like Henderson in strength and quickness.

Win tickets to the South Carolina-Arkansas women’s basketball game

3. Guarding guards
UConn struggles to contain quick, athletic guards. The Huskies are sometimes slow on the perimeter and don’t have much in the way of rim protection (even with 6-5 post Jana El Aflay).

Ole Miss’ KK Deans had 17 points against UConn. Hannah Hidalgo had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Juju Watkins had 25 points. And Tennessee clinched its win with a drive and dish from Talaysia Cooper.

Last season I predicted that Fulwiley would be able to take advantage of that weakness. She ended up having a quiet day (six points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals), but Paopao went off for 21 points on 5-7 shooting from three.

“That was my breakout game after a couple rough games,” Paopao said. “I just remember shooting the ball really well.”

Paopao is coming off a terrific game. She had 14 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in a mere 20 minutes of action. 

4. Availability Report
South Carolina does not have to release an official Availability report because this is not a conference game. But if they did, Ashlyn Watkins is out, and everyone else is expected to be available.

Several injured Huskies are out for Sunday’s game. Morgan Cheli is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Ice Brady is out with a shoulder injury.

Additionally, Ayanna Patterson is out for the year, while Caroline Ducharme has yet to play this season. 

5. Scouting the Huskies
Despite all the injuries, this is probably the deepest UConn has been in a few years. That doesn’t mean Geno Auriemma is suddenly doing line changes – he still leans mostly on his starters and only plays about seven players.

Bueckers leads the way with 18.7 points. Azzi Fudd has bounced back from injury and averages 12.7 points on 47.1% shooting from three.

Freshman Sarah Strong has become the do-everything player for the Huskies. She averages 16.1 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds. Strong also leads the Huskies in blocks and steals and is third in assists. 

“They’re pretty talented, as always,” Staley said. “I think they get more of their stuff that they want to get and it’s less reliant on just Paige to do her thing. Strong gives them a lot of options.”

UConn doesn’t get to the line much (10.7 free throw attempts per game) and is not a good rebounding team (a margin of just plus-5.2). That bodes well for South Carolina, who has struggled with foul trouble and rebounding in its losses.

This is the last game between South Carolina and UConn under the current scheduling contract. It is a makeup for the postponed 2022 game (hence South Carolina hosting in consecutive seasons). 

Scoreboard watching guide
No. 5 LSU at no. 3 Texas – It feels weird, but the Gamecocks should be rooting for the Tigers. In 2017, it was arch-rival Kentucky that did South Carolina a favor by knocking off Vic Schaefer and Mississippi State, could something similar happen?

The Ws
Who: #4 South Carolina (23-2, 11-1) vs #7 UConn (23-3, 14-0)
When: 1:00ET, Sunday, February 16 (Doors open at 10:30 for ESPN College GameDay)
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC
Watch: ABC

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