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

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1. Who is available?

South Carolina expects to have everyone available. UConn, on the other hand…

The Huskies’ injury woes have been well-documented. Things got so bad that the Huskies had to postpone a game against DePaul because they only had six available players.

Geno Auriemma (who even missed a few games due to illness) typically plays a tight rotation by choice, but now he is doing it by necessity, and not with the players he expected. Paige Bueckers and Ice Brady were lost in the preseason. Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme have been in and out of the lineup (as of this writing they are not expected to play Sunday). Just two players, Aaliyah Edwards and Lou Lopez Sénéchal, have appeared in every game. 

So far, it hasn’t cost UConn in the win column. The Huskies are undefeated in the Big East and have just two losses.

“They’re just elevating,” Dawn Staley said. When they have other people out, the other ones are stepping up. You don’t go to UConn and sit on the bench, you have a skillset that helps them.” 

But the record doesn’t reflect what we’re seeing on the court. Over the past week, UConn has struggled to put away Villanova (63-58) and Providence (64-54). Those are not point totals or scoring margins you typically see from the Huskies.

2. Second quarters

While UConn can barely field a team, South Carolina is probably the deepest team in the country. The Gamecocks get nearly half their scoring off the bench and they can give opponents drastically different loos to create mismatches.

Eleven players average between 10 and 25 minutes per game, with two more averaging 9.8 minutes per game. When South Carolina goes to the bench, there is no drop-off in production.

That’s why the second quarter has become so important in South Carolina’s games. Opponents have been able to hang with South Carolina in the first quarter, but once the teams go to the bench, South Carolina goes on a run.

The Gamecocks are outscoring opponents by 9.2 points in the second quarter, more than any other quarter. 

UConn has the opposite problem. The Huskies have started games well, but by the second quarter the starters are fatigued and Auriemma has to choose between sticking with the tired players or substituting and dealing with the talent drop-off.

In short, the second quarter is South Carolina’s strength versus UConn’s weakness.

3. Point guard

UConn’s Nika Mühl has put up some insane assist numbers. She is averaging 8.8 assists per game, and her 14 assists against Tennessee tie Tyasha Harris as the most ever against the Lady Vols. Mühl only scores 6.9 points per game, but that isn’t her style. She is going to look to set up her teammates. 

South Carolina has a pretty impressive point guard of its own. Raven Johnson is not starting and barely plays 16 minutes a game, but she has emerged as a difference-maker at the position. She’s one of the key reasons South Carolina’s bench has dominated second quarters.

Johnson is an instant fast break. She can create turnovers with her aggressive defense, and her vision and passing ability can turn any rebound into a runout.

Johnson started the first two games of the season before Staley switched to Kierra Fletcher. Both players were coming off serious leg injuries, and Johnson acknowledged this week that she was still nervous about her torn ACL at the beginning of the season. Now that she is confident, Johnson is reminding everyone why she was the high school player of the year.

“I think I’m developing really good, I’m trusting Coach, trusting my teammates” Johnson said. “Them telling me what I can do, what I’m capable of. Just following the game plan and trusting coach and trusting the process.”

It’s unlikely Staley will make another change in the starting lineup. You don’t mess with what’s working. But she does have to decide who will guard Mühl.

Johnson is a smaller, quicker option. Fletcher is stronger, but not quite as quick. Staley could also use Brea Beal, her best perimeter defender, on Mühl. Beal has size, strength, and speed and would be able to muscle Mühl. Laeticia Amihere could also get a look – her length allows her to disrupt passing lanes.

Also look for the Gamecocks to go at Mühl on defense. Staley is a big believer in making offensive players work on the other end. 

4. Turnovers

South Carolina committed 18 turnovers Thursday night against Kentucky. It was the most South Carolina had committed since the Georgia game and almost five more than the Gamecocks’ average. 

“It doesn’t feel good for anybody to have that amount of turnovers,” Beal said after the game. “Having that many turnovers definitely needs to be pointed out in film session and see what we can do better.”

The total was a little inflated because Kentucky trapped South Carolina in the fourth quarter after Staley emptied the bench. But South Carolina has an advantage over UConn in turnovers (USC’s margin is plus-2.4 and UConn’s is -1.7), and the Gamecocks don’t want to give that up.

“It was uncharacteristic,” Staley said. “Hopefully we’ve got those things under control.”

Staley did not specifically discuss the turnovers against Kentucky, but they focused on taking care of the ball in practice Friday, and Staley was pleased with the result.

5. Scouting the Huskies

Even with all the injuries, the Huskies have one of the most efficient offenses in the country. Mühl gets the ball to teammates in a position to score, Lopez Sénéchal has been 47.5% from three, and Edwards has shed the inconsistency that plagued her in previous seasons.

“I don’t think you can lag off any of them, you have to guard them,” Staley said. “You’re going to find out in the first few minutes of the game who they’re going to go after.”

But, as mentioned above, the offensive output over the past two games has dipped. Because of that, and because South Carolina has won three of the last four against UConn, and because South Carolina has frequently looked unstoppable, the Gamecocks are favored to win.

Just don’t tell the Gamecocks.

“The media might have a different aspect of that,” Aliyah Boston said.

“I’m not falling for it,” Staley said. “We’re going to continue to do what we’ve done all season long.”

The Ws

Who: #1 South Carolina (22-0, 10-0) at #5 UConn (21-2, 13-0)

When: Noon, Sunday, February 5

Where: XL Center, Hartford CT

Watch: FOX