South Carolina women's basketball: Three things we learned against Clayton State
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South Carolina’s second and final exhibition is now in the books. As the Gamecocks turn their focus to the regular season and Michigan, here are three things we learned from the 126-42 win over Clayton State.
1. Tournament Tessa is alive and well
Tessa Johnson had a quiet game against Memphis (six points, three assists, three rebounds, no threes), and after she missed her first four three-point attempts against Clayton State, it was fair to start wondering where Tournament Tessa had gone.
“I’m not going to lie, the things I was probably saying to myself were not the right things. But my teammates were like, ‘Keep shooting, keep shooting,’ and I was feeling good before the game,” Johnson said. “So I kept shooting and I finally got the lid off.”
That included Dawn Staley proclaiming that the player she calls “Threessa” was back to just being Tessa. Johnson sank her next attempt. And the next. And another one. She sparked the decisive late second-quarter run that put away the pesky Lakers.
Johnson finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists while playing good defense.
I was the same sort of performance we came to expect last postseason but with an added wrinkle: playing point guard.
If Johnson can reliably run the point, it gives her another way to get on the court while also giving Staley another lineup she can throw at opponents.
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2. Joyce Edwards might be South Carolina’s best player
It’s only been to games, and they were exhibitions against overwhelmed opponents, but Edwards looks like South Carolina’s best player. She followed up her impressive debut against Memphis (19 points, 12 rebounds) with another double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds).
Edwards also added a team-high six assists, and it was striking how well the Gamecocks move the ball when Edwards is on the court.
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It’s natural to say Edwards should have dominated Clayton State, but that ignores how easy she makes everything look. Edwards also played multiple positions, something that Staley said makes Edwards truly special.
“She has confidence in me,” Edwards said. “She pushes me to be the best and be positionless, not limit myself,” Edwards said. “She really emphasizes me being limitless.”
Johnson chimed in, explaining how Edwards raises the level of play for everyone around her.
“Coach is challenging her and Joyce takes on that challenge every single time,” Johnson said. “She’s the most competitive person and she brings the competitiveness out of the rest of us.”
3. Adhel Tac can be an impact player inside
Tac wasn’t expected to play against Memphis, so when she chipped in six points and five rebounds in eight minutes, it was a pleasant surprise.
Against Clayton State, South Carolina got a bigger sample size. Tac played 13 minutes and registered 13 points, seven rebounds, and drew six fouls. She should have dominated Clayton State, who didn’t play anyone over 6-0, but it was promising to see her actually control the paint.
Tac keeps the ball high when she gets it and has a wide enough base that opponents can’t get to the ball without fouling. You can accomplish a lit just by being big and tall. She’s still a work in progress, but Tac has raised expectations for her freshman season.
