South Carolina women's basketball: Gamecocks find success with four-guard lineup
South Carolina did something unusual on Thursday, playing a four-guard lineup for an extended stretch. But it could happen a lot more often going forward.
As basketball has evolved, fewer and fewer teams still play with two post players. Dawn Staley stubbornly – and incredibly successfully – was a holdout. Sure, the Gamecocks won it all in 2017 with a four-guard lineup, but that was an outlier forced by injury.
But there they were on Thursday, four guards and one forward, dropping 101 points on Florida.
Staley has toyed with it at times earlier in the season, but never for extended periods. It makes sense. South Carolina has four extremely productive guards in Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Tessa Johnson. Throw in Bree Hall and Maddy McDaniel, and it’s hard to find enough playing time for everyone.
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The failure of Maryam Dauda, Adhel Tac, or Sakima Walker to emerge as a reliable option since Ashlyn Watkins was lost for the season has also limited the forward rotation to just three players.
Out of desperation, Staley went to four guards against Texas, saying the Longhorns were “blowing up” everything the Gamecocks tried to do. Some early foul trouble against Florida meant it was time to put the lineup to work.
“Foul trouble made us do it and it might be a lineup we have to utilize if teams are going to go small on us, so we might as well get a little bit of practice in it,” Staley said.
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What the lineup gives up in size it makes up for with speed and shooting. Having four shooters on the floor spaced out the defense for Joyce Edwards inside. Edwards scored a career-high 28 points, almost all at the rim. She attempted just three jump shots, making two. Her other 14 shots were layups, plus eight free throws.
“They went four guards to coach was just trying to match that,” Edwards said. “We’ve seen that a little bit at Texas, we had to go four guards. I feel like Coach just wanted us to get exposure to it.”
Staley has used different combinations. Against Florida, it was McDaniel, Paopao, Tessa Johnson, and Fulwiley. Against Texas, she used both Johnsons, Paopao, and Hall.
It’s an option that could come in handy soon. UConn essentially plays a four-guard lineup (Sarah Strong is listed as a forward but she plays like a guard). If nothing else, if gives the Huskies and other future opponents something extra to prepare for.
