South Carolina's 'Seatbelt Gang' steps up in absence of Ashlyn Watkins

When the South Carolina football team’s defense had a strong 2024, defensive coordinator Clayton White said his defense had no nickname. The players could come up with one, but nothing became official.

Junior guard Raven Johnson wanted the South Carolina women’s basketball defense’s nickname known after the Gamecocks win over LSU Friday.

“We’re seatbelt gang,” Johnson said of herself and fellow senior guard Bree Hall. “I mean, before we start a game, we got the biggest defense assignment, so let’s lock the other best players up. We the co-hosts of seatbelt gang, so, let’s do this.”

Johnson and Hall came to South Carolina together as members of the Gamecocks’ 2021 recruiting class. Where Hall saw immediate playing time, Johnson sat behind multiple WNBA draft picks in Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke, and Brea Beal with an injury in her first year. Eventually, the duo would start together for USC.

Now in the 2024-25 season, the two guards find themselves sharing the same starting backcourt again. Johnson leads the Gamecocks in steals this season (1.6), while Hall is averaging a career-high 0.8 per game.

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South Carolina collected 13 steals to go along with 11 blocks in Friday’s win over previously undefeated LSU. It’s the ninth time this season the Gamecocks have picked up double-digit steals.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey attributed the Gamecocks’ success on defense to their physicality on the floor. South Carolina held LSU leading scorer Flau’jae Johnson to 2 points in the second half.

“(I) thought it was a very physical way, they’d have a hand on her when she tried to catch the ball,” Mulkey said. “But that’s the way we defend, that’s basketball.”

LSU’s 56 points on Friday is a season-low for the Tigers, the Gamecocks holding LSU 30 points below its season average. South Carolina has held every opponent under their average points per game during the 2024-25 season.

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South Carolina’s defense ranks among the nation’s best in multiple categories. The Gamecocks are tied for fourth in the country in blocks, averaging 6.2 per game, totaling 131 on the season. South Carolina also ranks sixth in the NCAA in opponent field goal percentage (33.7%) and seventh in scoring margin (25.8). The Gamecocks rank sixth in the SEC in steals.

“I think with them, it’s not just, ‘Can you score?’ It’s also, ‘Can you guard,’” Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk said after their 101-60 loss to South Carolina. “… you try to pick your poison with them.”

Senior forward Sania Feagin has had to step up in the absence of junior forward Ashlyn Watkins. Watkins is sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing her ACL against Mississippi State.

Feagin played a career-high 36 minutes against LSU. The number is also the most minutes any Gamecock has played in a game this season.

“It’s been a build-up for her,” Staley said. “I think Feagin is starting to impose her will and showcase her talent.”

Feagin has led the Gamecocks in blocks in every game since the loss of Watkins, totaling a career-high six blocks against No. 7 Texas.

Feagin is not the only player who has stepped up in the loss of Watkins. Senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Johnson have all tied or posted season-high numbers in Watkin’s absence.

Through the first eight games in conference play, the Gamecocks have given up an average of 57 points per game. South Carolina has not given up 70 or more points this season since its 81-70 victory over No. 14 Duke on Dec. 5.

“We’re pretty locked in,” head coach Dawn Staley said of the Gamecock defense. “I think they really are connected, they understand that we’re pretty good … our gap defense is pretty good, our scramble out when teams get ahead of the possession, and then we’ve just gotta fight to just go get the basketball … just our grit was great.”

Johnson knows a lot of that connection on defense is based on trust.

“We emphasize a lot on gap help and helping our teammates,” Johnson said. “Just trusting one another and knowing that our teammate can get the defensive assignment and knowing they can stop the player that they have for that night.”

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