South Carolina women’s basketball is No. 1 on the 2024-25 preseason Associated Press Poll, it was announced Tuesday.
Last year USC was ranked preseason No. 6 by the AP, not No. 1 for the first time since 2019.
But an impressive first week, which included convincing wins over then-No. 10 Notre Dame (100-71) and then-No. 14 Maryland (114-76) , saw USC climb five spots to No. 1. And there the Gamecocks would stay, as they finished the year 38-0 national champions, becoming the first to achieve such a feat since UConn in 2016.
South Carolina is joined by six other SEC teams in the top 25: No. 4 Texas (whom South Carolina will play twice), No. 7 LSU, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 20 Ole Miss, No. 22 Kentucky and No. 24 Alabama. USC will face five additional ranked non-conference opponents this season as well: No. 2 Uconn, No. 5 UCLA, No. 8 Iowa State, No. 9 N.C. State and No. 11 Duke.
The Gamecocks return all but one player from last year’s squad. Final Four Most Outstanding Player Kamilla Cardoso was drafted No. 3 overall by the WNBA’s Chicago Sky this spring. But everyone else -- including the proven backcourt duo of Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson -- is back.
South Carolina also retained starter Chloe Kitts, SEC Tournament MVP MiLaysia Fulwiley and All-Final Four Team member Tessa Johnson. Seniors Bree Hall and Sania Feagin ( who won gold and tournament MVP at World Cup in Mongolia with the 3x3 U23 national team last month) are back for one more year as well. They’ll play alongside the highly touted freshmen Joyce Edwards (No. 2 overall class of 2024 recruit) and Maddy McDaniel (No. 12 overall recruit) as well as versatile Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda.
Adhel Tac (6-foot-5), a top class of 2024 recruit who enrolled at South Carolina in January after sustaining a season-ending knee injury last fall, will make her collegiate debut this season. Super-senior Sakima Walker, the Gamecocks only true center, will also return.
Junior forward and 2023-24 All-SEC Second Team member Ashlyn Watkins has been suspended from team activities since her Aug. 31 arrest on charges of assault and kidnapping. Staley reaffirmed Watkins’ suspension was still in place during a preseason practice availability last month , adding that “We’re not gonna move until her situation’s settled down a little bit. It’s out of her control. It’s out of our control.” Staley did not otherwise provide a potential timeline for Watkins’ return.
South Carolina will play two exhibitions this month: one at Memphis Tuesday and one versus Clayton State on Oct. 28. The former will tip off on ESPN+ at 9:30 p.m. USC’s regular season begins Nov. 4 vs. Michigan in Las Vegas.
2024-24 preseason AP Poll
No. 1 votes in parentheses.
1. South Carolina (27)
2. UConn (2)
3. Southern Cal (1)
4. Texas
5. UCLA
6. Notre Dame
7. LSU
8. Iowa State
9. N.C. State
10. Oklahoma
11. Duke
12. Baylor
13. Kansas State
14. Ohio State
15. North Carolina
16. West Virginia
17. Louisville
18. Maryland
19. Florida State
20. Ole Miss
21. Creighton
22. Kentucky
23. Nebraska
24. Alabama
25. Indiana
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