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

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1. Quick turnaround
There’s no rest for the weary. The Gamecocks have a quick turnaround from the physically and mentally taxing win at LSU on Thursday night. 

They held practice Friday and Saturday ahead of Sunday’s game, opting to keep the normal routine. Dawn Staley thought keeping that routine helps the players fight through the fatigue.

“They did great once they got into motion,” she said. “They did great when we forced them to be great. Sometimes when you’re young you give into fatigue and you give into how your body is feeling and you start speaking the words and being tired and it’s an adverse effect on you. You’ve got to trick your mind into doing what you want it to do.”

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2. Bench mob
Staley leaned heavily on her starters against LSU. All but Chloe Kitts played at least 30 minutes, and Kitts’ 22 minutes were no walk in the park.

Still, South Carolina was able to wear down LSU by the end of the game.

Don’t expect the same thing against Vanderbilt. South Carolina’s depth is always a strength, but it may be even more so on Sunday. The reserves have fresh legs and are more than capable of taking over if fatigue starts to show. They also might have something to prove.

Staley said that MiLaysia Fulwiley and Ashlyn Watkins were “tested” against LSU. Fulwiley looked overwhelmed when she entered the game, shooting an airball and committing a turnover. Staley took her out to calm down. 

When Fulwiley got back in the game she scored eight points that helped get the Gamecocks back in the game at halftime.

“MiLaysia was tested. (She) didn’t meet the moment in the first quarter,” Staley said. “She made a couple of bad decisions and she sat for a little bit. She got back in and was ready to rock and roll. That’s trust-building”

Watkins was expected to play heavy minutes, but she picked up two quick first-quarter fouls and had to sit. Because of that, plus Kitts playing so well ahead of her, meant Watkins didn’t get back into the game until the fourth quarter. She played tough defense and made a layup to cut the LSU lead to one point. 

“I know she was mad,” Staley said. “You have to think, they’re competitors. They should be mad.”

3. Home sweet home
Sunday’s game marks the start of a five-week stretch where the Gamecocks play seven of their last 11 games at home. It’s a big advantage for the Gamecocks, who have a 50-game home winning streak that stretches back to a December 2020 loss to NC State.

South Carolina is on pace to lead the nation in attendance once again. The Gamecocks currently average 15,653 which leads Iowa. The Hawkeyes average 14,998, which is the capacity at Hawkeye-Carver Arena so it won’t go any higher.

South Carolina’s attendance average should go up, too (it will be 15,913 after Sunday). Sunday’s game is officially a sellout, as is the February 11 tilt against UConn. They are the 10th and 11th sellouts in program history, and this is the third season (2020, 2023) with two home sellouts.

South Carolina has never had three sellouts in a single season. The Gamecocks host Tennessee, which usually brings a sizable fan base, for the season finale on March 3, so a third sellout seems within reach.

The crowd could come in handy on Sunday. If the Gamecocks get tired or unfocused, the crowd won’t let it last for long.

4. “Everybody watches women’s sports”
Staley wore a t-shirt with that phrase across the front earlier this season. On Thursday, it was on the back of her black hoodie. It’s not just marketing.

South Carolina’s win over LSU averaged 1.6 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million. It was the third-most-watched regular season game ever on ESPN, and the second-most-watched game since 2010. Only Ohio State’s upset of Iowa, which aired on NBC and thus had a much higher reach, drew higher viewership numbers (1.86 million).

South Carolina-LSU was the most-watched sports broadcast of the day. It outdrew all NBA games, including the Celtics-Heat game it went head-to-head against. That game, featuring two of the league’s marquee franchises, drew just 1.4. The NBA late game, Kings-Warriors, also drew only 1.4 million.

It’s worth noting that last season’s South Carolina-LSU game, which aired on Super Bowl Sunday, previously held the record as the most-watched regular season game since 2010 (1.5 million). This Super Bowl Sunday, South Carolina hosts UConn. Viewership for that game should be huge as well.

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5. Scouting the Commodores
Vanderbilt was picked to finish last in the SEC, and yet the Commodores are currently tied for fourth, just a half-game behind LSU.

After years of seeming like Vanderbilt couldn’t catch a break, especially with injuries, the Commodores have finally broken the curse. 

Jordyn Cambridge, a sixth-year guard who was one of those cursed players, is healthy again. She averages 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals, and is a legitimate contender for SEC Player of the Year.

Sacha Washington averages 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds, plus 1.8 blocks. Freshman Khamil Pierre had scored at least 16 points in three consecutive games before being held to six at Tennessee.

“Vandy’s confident. They’ve got a team that believes in their coach. They’ve got a team that believes in each other,” Staley said. “They already play hard. They’ve played hard ever since Shea (Ralph) got the job there. They didn’t always have the talent, but you knew you were going to get a 40-minute effort. Now they have talent.”

The Ws
Who: #1 South Carolina (18-0, 6-0) vs Vanderbilt (17-3, 4-2)
When: 3:00 ET, Sunday, January 28 (Doors open at 1:30)
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: SEC Network

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