Markeshia Grant's SEC Tournament Preview: South Carolina women’s basketball locked in for another title run

🏀🔥 Markeshia Grant, who played two seasons for Dawn Staley, provides GamecockCentral readers with analysis of South Carolina women’s basketball. Don’t miss her unique insights and expert takes; sign up for the GamecocksW newsletter. 🔥🏀

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Gameday is almost here, and with the flip of a coin, South Carolina is once again the team to beat. The Gamecocks are heading into the 2025 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 1 seed, ready to defend their title and make a statement before March Madness. Even with some injuries and new players in the mix, Dawn Staley’s team wrapped up the regular season at 27-3 overall and 15-1 in conference play, taking home the SEC regular-season title.

SEC Regular Season Recap: Different Pieces, Same Dominance

Coach Staley’s ability to adapt, develop (McDonald’s All-Americans) talent, and get her team to lock in when it matters most is unmatched. She’s built a culture that doesn’t just expect championships—it demands them. And once again, her team won the SEC regular season championship and is primed for another SEC Tournament Title run.

Despite new faces and some injuries, South Carolina hasn’t missed a beat. Their versatility, defensive intensity, rebounding dominance, unselfish play, and fast-paced offense have overwhelmed opponents all season. Without Ashlyn Watkins, the frontcourt has had to adapt, but Joyce Edwards’ emergence has kept the Gamecocks rolling.

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2025 SEC Tournament – Key Players to Watch 

Sania Feagin (Forward, Sr.) – The Anchor

Sania has stepped up as South Carolina’s defensive anchor in the frontcourt, earning a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team, and has become a force on offense as well. Expect her to dominate the paint, control the boards, and set the tone with her physicality, both defensively and offensively.

Joyce Edwards (Forward, Fr.) – The Rising Star

The freshman phenom has risen to the occasion, seamlessly filling in the gap left by Watkins. A dominant presence in the paint, she plays with a poise and a level of maturity that’s way ahead of her years. Her impact earned her spots on both the All-SEC First Team and the All-Freshman Team—she joins elite company, to say the least.

MiLaysia Fulwiley (Guard, So.) – The X-Factor 

Electrifying. Calculating. The human highlight reel. Her creativity, her confidence, her speed, her ball-handling, her ability to take over games on both sides of the ball—makes her a matchup nightmare and one of the most dangerous players in the country. Her stellar play has earned her the Sixth Woman of the Year Award and on All-SEC Second Team. She’s primed for being back-to-back SEC Tournament MVP.

Te-Hina Paopao (Guard, Sr.) – The Steady Veteran

The steady veteran. A lethal shooter and calming presence in big moments. The All-SEC Second Team performer is primed for one of those classic “that’s the Paopao we know” performances—knocking down threes, hitting floaters, draining mid-range jumpers, and dishing dimes with ease. 

Chloe Kitts (Forward, Jr.) – Versatility at its Finest

Chloe Kitts has been a driving force behind the Gamecocks’ success heading into the SEC Tournament. She put her versatility on full display with a triple-double against Ole Miss, earning SEC and national Player of the Week honors. As she continues to get more comfortable and confident, she’s primed for an MVP-caliber tournament run.

Raven Johnson (Point Guard, RS Sr.) • Breezy Hall (Wing, Sr.) – Defensive minded 

Roles have shifted, players have stepped up—that’s what makes this team special. But the defensive anchors in the backcourt? That’s still Raven and Breezy. Raven secured her spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team, and Breezy? The accolades may not reflect her impact, however, her opponents’ stats will show that she’s a nightmare for whoever she’s guarding, making their best player struggle every single night. 

Tessa Johnson (Guard, So.) – The Brains

Tessa will be a player to watch in the 2025 SEC Tournament. Her 3-point shooting and strong basketball IQ make her a big threat on both ends of the floor. Tessa has been a reliable scorer and a key playmaker for the Gamecocks this season. As they head into the game today, expect her to step up and play a crucial role in South Carolina’s success, providing scoring and playmaking when the team needs it most.

Maddy McDaniel (Point Guard, Fr.) • Maryam Dauda (Forward, Jr.) – Crucial depth 

Freshman point guard Maddy McDaniel and junior forward Maryam Dauda look to play crucial roles for the Gamecocks in the 2025 SEC Tournament. McDaniel has shown poise beyond her years, running the offense and creating opportunities with her court vision. On the other hand, Dauda brings versatility in the frontcourt with her 3-point shooting and rebounding.

Prediction: Gamecocks Handle Business

Despite the challenges this season, South Carolina remains one of the deepest teams in the SEC. Dawn Staley knows how to get her team ready for tournament time, and with the firepower they have, the Gamecocks are more than capable of capturing another conference title. Every team they face will bring their best, but let’s be honest—South Carolina is built for this moment. Expect them to take care of business, claim the SEC Tournament title, and head into March Madness as a No. 1 seed, with their sights set on even bigger goals.

South Carolina’s NCAA Tournament Resume as of March 7, 2025

NET: #2

Strength of Schedule: #1

Quad 1 Wins/Loses: 14-3 (most Quad 1 wins)

SEC Regular Season Champions

Up Next: South Carolina Gamecocks (27-3) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (22-9)

In this rematch, the Gamecocks will look to carry over a lot of the things that worked for them in the win in Nashville. They controlled the game from start to finish, winning the rebounding battle, dominating the paint, and locking down on defense, holding Mikayla Blakes to just 19 points. The real story, though, was South Carolina’s bench, which outscored Vanderbilt’s entire team. It was a complete team effort, and in Music City. Expect the Gamecocks to keep their momentum going into this matchup.

Key matchups to watch:

Guard Play vs. Mikayla Blakes

• Freshman phenom Mikayla Blakes is Vanderbilt’s do-it-all leader. She is very ball-dominant, so the South Carolina guards are going to have to make her uncomfortable and be intentional about making her give the ball up. She never stops moving on offense so the Gamecocks cannot relax on defense. Make her play on both sides of the ball—she is turnover prone (3 TOs PG) and foul prone (2.5 fouls PG). Stay aggressive and apply pressure. She will also be looking to bounce back from her first matchup with South Carolina.

Post Play vs. Khalil Pierre

• Pierre is Vanderbilt’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder, bringing skill and finesse to the floor. South Carolina will need to play her straight up—expect 2-3 moves in the paint and don’t let her establish deep post position. Keep high hands, stay disciplined, and box her out—she’s relentless on the boards. She will be looking for something prove as she was left off the SEC end of the year honors. 

Also, expect Iyana Moore to play better this game, as she struggled in the first matchup. 

Guard Advantages

• Guard depth will be key for the Gamecocks in this matchup, as Vanderbilt leans heavily on a small rotation of guards—primarily Mikayla Blakes, Iyana Moore, and Jordyn Oliver. South Carolina rolls with a six-player guard rotation, with each guard bringing a unique dynamic both offensively and defensively.

Post Advantages

• The Gamecocks have strong post depth, with Kitts and Feagin starting, and Edwards, Dauda, Walker, and Tac providing valuable, impactful minutes off the bench. There are layers to the Gamecocks post presence, they have the depth, the athleticism, and the foot speed to make an impact on both ends. They’ll need to use their depth to keep Vandy on their heels—making it hard for the Commodores to defend. 

Gamecocks Advantage

South Carolina’s depth, defensive intensity, rebounding ability, and speed give them the edge in this matchup.

Keys to the Win

1. Keep the main thing, the main thing – Stay focused and control the pace of the game.       

2. Set the tone early – HIT FIRST and don’t let up.

3. Lock in on defense – The Gamecocks’ stifling man-to-man defense holds teams more than 20+ points below their season average so they will need to continue to lock in to the scout. 

4. Bench production – South Carolina’s Seatbelt Gang has been dominating, leading the nation in bench points per game. Their depth will be crucial in this matchup.

5. Win the rebounding battle – When the gamecocks win the rebounding battle, they normally win the game. WIN THE PAINT!

6. Take care of the ball – Sharing the ball and ball movement will be key in this matchup.

7. Force turnovers – South Carolina forces approximately  17 TOs per game, while Vandy averages 13.7 TOs per game.

8. Convert at the free-throw line – Vandy will foul so they’ll need to focus on making their free throws.

9. Play hard, play smart, play disciplined, play and act like champions!

10. Have fun!

Let’s Go Gamecocks!

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🏀🔥 Markeshia Grant, who played two seasons for Dawn Staley, provides GamecockCentral readers with analysis of South Carolina women’s basketball. Don’t miss her unique insights and expert takes; sign up for the GamecocksW newsletter. 🔥🏀

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