South Carolina women's basketball puts two on ESPN top-25 list
On Thursday, ESPN put out its annual preseason top-25 players list for the 2024-2025 season. South Carolina women’s basketball had two players make the cut. Guards Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley slotted into the No. 16 and No. 19 spots, respectively. The Gamecocks are one of seven programs with multiple players in ESPN’s rankings.
Paopao’s inclusion comes on the heels of a 2023-2024 campaign in which she led Division-I basketball in 3-point percentage (46.8%). The fifth-year senior could be an even bigger piece of the offense this year without dominant post player Kamilla Cardoso. Paopao will play both guard spots this season, likely handling the point guard duties when Raven Johnson is off the floor but sliding to the 2-spot when playing alongside Johnson. Coach Staley says the senior is playing “at an all-time high” at practice.
Fulwiley has best-player-in-the-country potential. Because of her unselfishness and willingness to play a specific role (likely off the bench), she won’t put up the same numbers as other top players in women’s college basketball. However, the Columbia native will be an enormous part of the Gamecocks’ success this season. Her athleticism, crafty ballhandling, and aggressiveness are 1-of-1 in the sport. Fulwiley’s defensive potential is high, as well, and she got better as the year went on last season.
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Several other South Carolina women’s basketball players also had arguments for placement on this list. Fellow guard Raven Johnson made the Naismith Award watch list and the preseason All-SEC team. Freshman forward Joyce Edwards is one of the top first-year players in the country, but no freshman made ESPN’s list. Forward Ashlyn Watkins likely would have made the top 25 had she not been suspended this offseason.
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In the ranking that matters, though, South Carolina is No. 1. The AP poll has the Gamecocks at No. 1 because no team has a clearer path to a championship this season. Dawn Staley’s team returns all but one contributor (Cardoso) from last season, and USC added three 5-star freshmen and a major transfer portal forward in Maryam Dauda. Coming off of an undefeated National Championship season a year ago, South Carolina is the deserved favorite once again.
South Carolina women’s basketball has not lost a game since April of 2023 when they fell in the Final Four to Iowa. The Gamecocks have not lost a regular season game since 2021, the team’s first SEC contest against the Missouri Tigers during the 2021-2022 campaign.
The Gamecocks’ “Repeat Tour” officially begins on Monday, November 4th. In Las Vegas, Carolina will meet up with the Michigan Wolverines in a neutral site contest at 7:30 p.m. TNT will broadcast the game as part of the Hall of Fame Series.
