In an NCAA women’s season marked by uncertainty, there is at least one guarantee: the best runner in South Carolina will be tested immediately.
Gamecocks from coach Dawn Staley returned three holders of a team that did 32-1 last season and was the favorite to win the national title before the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic COVID-19. Three days after the season opens, South Carolina will participate in the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic, a round-robin tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, featuring # 21 Gonzaga, South Dakota and Oklahoma.
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Despite all its success, South Carolina has never been AP No. 1 in the preseason until this year. The ranking is a courtesy of their success last year, when they stepped onto the SEC agenda and a trio of sensational sophomores who started all 33 games as freshmen.
Leading the way is the 6’5 center, Aliyah Boston. Boston won the National Freshman of the Year in 2020 and was named the second All-America team. As a freshman, Boston was a force in painting at both ends of the floor. She averaged 12.5 points per game in almost 61% of shots, 9.5 rebounds per game and was the 11th in the country in blocks.
“I don’t know if there is another player in college women’s basketball who can do the things Aliyah does with her size,” said Staley.
Also back in the top five last year are guards Brea Beal and Zia Cooke. Cooke averaged 12 points per game last season, while Beal was a reliable defensive perimeter.
The Gamecock test will replace two huge pieces, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Tyasha Harris. These two were sixth and seventh in the Draft WNBA. Harrigan led the team in scoring, while Harris was one of the best distributors in the country with 5.7 assists per game.
Staley says that without Harris, the team’s offensive sets will be reduced. But despite having only one senior on the list, the team has a lot of experience in big games. Juniors Destanni Henderson and Victaria Saxton and veteran LeLe Grissett appeared in every game last year and are able to help fill the gaps left by Harris and Harrigan.
Last year was Gonzaga’s fourth consecutive season, with 26 or more wins. And, before the tournament was canceled, it looked like they had a chance to have their best season in school history. The Bulldogs won the West Coast Conference title (the fourth in a row and the 15th in the past 16 years) and accumulated a record of 28-3. Defensively, they were excellent. They kept the teams with just under 52 points per game, the third best in the NCAA.
Across the track, Jill Townsend is expected to lead the way this season. As a junior, she averaged 12.3 points per game. Twins Jenn and Leeanne Wirth return to the attacking court. Jenn led the team in the recovery in 2020, with 6.9 boards per game and 10.8 points. Another set of twins will be instrumental for Bulldogs. Guards Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong are expected to play a big role on the backcourt. Kayleigh started eight games last year and will be handling the ball more after Jessie Loera’s graduation.
South Dakota did not reach the top 25 in the pre-season survey, but finished 17th last year in the country. The Coyotes were 30-2, their best season in the program’s history. One of his two defeats went to South Carolina. The two teams will open the tournament against each other on November 28, just 60 miles from the South Dakota campus.
Hannah Sjerven is the anchor of the Coyotes. The 6’3 center is the Player of the Year in the Summit League. Last year, Sjerven averaged 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds. Chloe Lamb, a 5’10 point guard, also averaged double digits last year in an attack that averaged the eighth highest number of points per game in the NCAA last year.
After consecutive losing seasons, Oklahoma will seek a major victory outside the conference at Sioux Falls. The Sooners had just 12-18 last year, but they returned to their top four scorers in hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament.
Junior guard Taylor Robertson is one of the most dangerous three-point threats in the country. Robertson led the nation in both attempts (308) and makes (131) three, shooting 42.5% from a distance. His 19.1 points per game was the second best on Big 12.
Madi Williams (16.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Gabby Gregory (11.3 PPG) can shoulder some of the scoring load and help make up for the team’s lack of pre-All-Big 12 season, Ana Llanusa.