South Carolina women's basketball: Freshmen facing crucial roles

According to BetMGM and ESPN, South Carolina is the betting favorite to win the 2026 national championship. Despite losing three starters from last year’s Final Four team, the Gamecocks appear to have improved their roster.

Dawn Staley has to figure out how to integrate transfer Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot, but the biggest question facing Staley and the Gamecocks is whether freshmen Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell are ready to contribute. 

South Carolina is loaded in the frontcourt. Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards were South Carolina’s best players for much of last season. Okot nearly averaged a double-double last season at Mississippi State and has loads of potential as the dominant big that South Carolina lacked. Maryam Dauda and Adhel Tac have put in the work to make a bigger impact. 

That list doesn’t even include Ashlyn Watkins. Watkins was the team’s best interior defender the past two seasons and is expected to return from an ACL injury sometime in the upcoming season. 

South Carolina’s starting backcourt stacks up with any in the country. Raven Johnson is an elite defender and an established point guard. Tessa Johnson is a three-point sniper and an underrated defender. And all Latson did was lead the country in scoring last season.

Sophomore point guard Maddy McDaniel flashed tantalizing ability in limited minutes last season. She was stuck as the third point guard behind Raven Johnson and the departed Te-Hina Paopao, but Staley trusted McDaniel enough to put her in at crucial moments during the NCAA tournament.

But that is four players handling three positions, and Tessa Johnson is the only one with the size to play on the wing. Perhaps Kitts or Edwards could handle spot playing time on the wing. But this is where Makeer and McDowell might be the key to a national championship.

For the past six seasons, South Carolina has had a long and athletic, elite defender on the wing: first Brea Beal and then Bree Hall.

Think back to some of their signature moments: 6-2 Beal blocking Hailey Van Lith’s first three shots, forcing Rhyne Howard into more turnovers than baskets, or laughing as Kateri Poole tried futilely to get away from her; 6-1 Hall making SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker a non-factor three different times.

Although they don’t follow the naming convention, Makeer and McDowell meet that physical description. Makeer is listed at 6-1 and McDowell at 6-2, and both have long arms. They also have huge potential.

Both players became sought-after prospects following their performances at the 2024 U18 AmeriCup Tournament. Makeer made the All-Star Five after averaging  17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 4.0 steals. McDowell averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 points for Brazil.

In the high school all-star games, Makeer was inconsistent offensively, but elite defensively. At the Nike Hoop Summit, she was used as a defensive specialist against Aaliyah Chavez, the top-ranked recruit who is an elite scorer. Unofficially, Makeer only gave up three points to Chavez. She got it back a few possessions later when she nailed a spot-up three.

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McDowell showed three-point range in the all-star games, but it was her time with the Brazilian national team that was more interesting.

McDowell played two WNBA preseason games with Brazil. She had two points and two rebounds against Chicago, but shot 0-5. Against Indiana, McDowell had four points and four rebounds and looked more comfortable.

In the 2025 AmeriCup, Ayla McDowell played sparingly for Brazil, appearing in four games. She averaged 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.0 minutes.

The modest statistics shouldn’t be surprising. McDowell was one of the youngest players on the team and was going against players five to ten years older. She will actually face a step down in competition when next season begins, but what McDowell did well – rebound, defend, and get to the foul line – could easily transfer.

South Carolina doesn’t need either player to be fully developed next season or play 20 minutes a game. Ten minutes of defense and hustle could be enough to win another title.

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