South Carolina women's basketball: How returning players must step up next season

South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC • Polls • Scholarships

South Carolina lost its Freshies, the most decorated signing class in program history, so the Gamecocks will look drastically different next season. Last week we broke down the newcomers. Today, GamecockCentral takes a player-by-player look at the returning players’ strengths and weaknesses and what each needs to do this summer to contribute.

Kamilla Cardoso (Center, 6-7, Senior*)
36 games, 18.8 mpg, 9.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.9 bpg

Strengths: At her size, Cardoso is a mismatch for almost everyone in the country. She has great touch around the rim and can finish through contact. Cardoso moves well without the ball, which gets her in position for easy layups or offensive rebounds. She is a strong shot-blocker and defender who makes opponents alter their offensive plan.

Weaknesses: Cardoso isn’t always a self-starter, and sometimes she needs a big play to get going. As well as she moves around the paint, Cardoso struggles to keep up with players on the perimeter. 

Offseason focus: Cardoso almost never attempts a shot more than a few feet from the basket. She didn’t need to when she played strictly in the low post with Aliyah Boston in the high post, but next season Cardoso will have to expand her game. If she could add a 15-foot jumper it would make her almost unstoppable (think Britney Griner in her prime).

For the second summer in a row, Cardoso competed with the Brazilian national team. She led Brazil took a gold medal at the AmeriCup Tournament and took home tournament MVP honors. FIBA Kamilla – who is more assertive than NCAA Kamilla – is who the Gamecocks want to see next season.

Projection: The door is open for Cardoso to be a star. She’s South Carolina’s top returning player in minutes played, scoring and rebounding, plus now she’ll be a focal point instead of the top reserve. 

* Cardoso has an optional Covid year remaining

[VIP Tickets now available: Gamecock Central Kickoff Party 2023!]

Sania Feagin (Forward, 6-3, Junior)
27 games, 7.9 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 60.0 FG%

Strengths: Feagin is an excellent scorer who can get points inside or from the mid-range. She is, according to Dawn Staley, the most skilled offensive post player the Gamecocks have ever had. Feagin is an above-average ball-handler for her position and can run in the open court.

Weaknesses: It is no secret at all that Feagin needs to play better defense. Even her father once yelled, “Now play defense!” last season after she scored. It’s the reason Feagin didn’t play more often last season and had to split minutes with Ashlyn Watkins. Feagin has the size and athleticism to be a good defender, but she needs to stay more focused and engaged on that end.

Offseason focus: Dee-Fense.

Projection: The good news for Feagin is that even if she doesn’t improve defensively, she should still get significant playing time. If Feagin plays average defense, she could be an All-SEC player.

Bree Hall (Guard, 6-1, Junior)
35 games, 13.9 mpg, 5.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 35.9 3P%

Strengths: Hall is a good three-point shooter, good defender, and long, athletic guard who excels at being on the finishing end of Raven Johnson’s fast-break passes. She hit numerous big shots in the postseason and would have played more except she was behind Brea Beal and Zia Cooke.

Weaknesses: Despite being a good shooter, Hall is just a 62% career free throw shooter. She also, almost impossibly, had just one assist as a freshman. Hall had 10 assists and 16 turnovers last season, but she needs to flip that ratio.

Offseason focus: Hall is now one of the Gamecocks’ most experienced players. She has embraced the leadership role, but it means she has to be more than a high-energy player who runs around at full speed for a few minutes and then goes back to the bench. Hall has to be more consistent and efficient.

Projection: Her ceiling may not be as high as some of her teammates, but Hall does all the little things to be a productive leader. There is always room for a 3-and-D wing that runs the court, and Hall fills that role perfectly. 

[Get news from GamecockCentral via email]

Raven Johnson (Guard, 5-8, RS Sophomore)
36 games (3 starts), 18.7 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.6 rpg, 1.1 spg

Strengths: Johnson’s instincts as a point guard are elite. She makes passes other players can’t even imagine and is quietly a strong defender. Johnson’s style is similar to Chelsea Gray, the Point Gawd who was WNBA Finals MVP last season.

Weaknesses: Johnson shot just 37% overall, 24% from three, and 65% from the line. She improved as the season went on and she got healthier, shooting 48% and 30% from three in conference games, but was still inconsistent enough that opponents (like Iowa) were willing to take their chances leaving her open.

Offseason focus: Johnson spent her redshirt season studying film, but got by last season mostly on her instincts. Now she has to marry the two. Johnson also needs to clean up her shot so she becomes more consistent. Johnson was the USA’s starting point guard at the AmeriCup Tournament, where the Americans won a silver medal. It was good experience for Johnson.

Projection: It’s Raven’s team. Aliyah Boston said it, Dawn Staley said it, and Johnson didn’t dispute it. The South Carolina coaching staff thought Johnson was a potential All-American when they recruited her and nothing has changed. Johnson’s ACL injury as a freshman put her behind schedule, but she should start living up to that potential this season. Think Tyasha Harris in 2020.

Chloe Kitts (Wing, 6-2, Sophomore)
18 games, 6.9 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Strengths: Kitts’ best asset is her versatility. She can shoot, rebound, pass, and has the length to be disruptive on defense. She is listed as a forward, but by the end of last season she was practicing with the guards.

Weaknesses: Enrolling in December meant Kitts was trying to learn the playbook on the fly (right down to when to stand on the bench, she joked). She also got pushed around by older, stronger players. Kitts admitted that she was sometimes overwhelmed and her confidence got shaken a little.

Offseason focus: In her first six months in Molly Binetti’s strength and conditioning program Kitts already added 13 pounds. She needs to continue to get stronger. Kitts also needs to get her confidence back. Both seemed to happen at the U19 World Championships, where Kitts was one of the best players on Team USA. She was used mostly at forward but occasionally moved to the wing. Kitts’ strength and play around the basket were impressive, but her shooting touch was a little shaky. 

Projection: Kitts might be the next Laeticia Amihere – a player that can play every position and do a little bit of everything. She’s going to play a lot of minutes, but the question is where.

[Subscribe to GamecockCentral’s YouTube page]

Ashlyn Watkins (Forward, 6-3, Sophomore)
32 games, 10.7 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.8 bpg, 0.7 spg

Strengths: Staley said she had never had a player more physically ready to play as a freshman than Watkins. Watkins is an incredible athlete with outstanding strength. That alone makes her a good defender and rebounder, but she isn’t just an athlete on the court – she is skilled and versatile.

Weaknesses: Watkins is skilled, but her game needs refinement and she needs to be more patient with picking her spots and maintaining composure. Those are issues almost every freshman has.

Offseason focus: Watkins said last season she wanted to improve her jump shot. She will also have to adjust her mentality as her role is no longer to come in and play defense and rebound for a couple of minutes. 

Projection: Watkins has only scratched the surface of her potential. Worst case, she plays defense, rebounds, and runs the court for easy layups (and dunks). Best case, she does all that plus hits jump shots and the Gamecocks have another dominant high-low post combination.

Discuss South Carolina women’s basketball on The Insiders Forum!