South Carolina Women

South Carolina Women

Leagues Played
WNCAAB 264
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Wikipedia
Related Teams
South Carolina
WNCAAB 03/24 17:00 124 North Carolina Women v South Carolina Women W 41-88
WNCAAB 03/22 18:10 122 Presbyterian Women v South Carolina Women W 39-91
WNCAAB 03/10 19:00 1 [11] LSU Women v South Carolina Women [1] W 72-79
WNCAAB 03/09 21:30 2 [121] Tennessee Women v South Carolina Women [1] W 73-74
WNCAAB 03/08 17:00 3 [107] Texas A&M Women v South Carolina Women [1] W 68-79
WNCAAB 03/03 17:00 - [112] Tennessee Women v South Carolina Women [1] W 68-76
WNCAAB 03/01 02:00 - [2] South Carolina Women v Arkansas Women [105] W 98-61
WNCAAB 02/25 20:00 - Kentucky Women v South Carolina Women W 55-103
WNCAAB 02/23 00:00 - [47] Alabama Women v South Carolina Women [1] W 44-72
WNCAAB 02/18 18:00 - [215] Georgia Women v South Carolina Women [2] W 56-70
WNCAAB 02/16 00:00 - [1] South Carolina Women v Tennessee Women [98] W 66-55
WNCAAB 02/11 19:00 - [22] Connecticut Women v South Carolina Women [2] W 65-83
WNCAAB 02/09 00:00 - [183] Missouri Women v South Carolina Women [1] W 45-83
WNCAAB 02/04 19:00 - [50] Mississippi Women v South Carolina Women [2] W 56-85
WNCAAB 02/02 01:00 - South Carolina Women v Auburn Women W 76-54
WNCAAB 01/28 20:00 - [19] Vanderbilt Women v South Carolina Women [3] W 74-91
WNCAAB 01/26 01:00 - [2] South Carolina Women v LSU Women [3] W 76-70
WNCAAB 01/21 22:00 - [5] South Carolina Women v Texas A&M Women [38] W 99-64
WNCAAB 01/16 00:00 - [208] Kentucky Women v South Carolina Women [3] W 36-98
WNCAAB 01/12 01:00 - [6] South Carolina Women v Missouri Women [141] W 81-57
WNCAAB 01/07 18:00 - [27] Mississippi State Women v South Carolina Women [8] W 66-85
WNCAAB 01/05 00:00 - [11] South Carolina Women v Florida Women [81] W 89-66
WNCAAB 12/30 17:00 - [11] South Carolina Women v East Carolina Women [112] W 73-36
WNCAAB 12/20 00:00 - [11] South Carolina Women v Bowling Green Women [105] W 93-62
WNCAAB 12/16 18:00 - [74] Presbyterian Women v South Carolina Women [12] W 29-99
WNCAAB 12/10 19:30 - [27] Utah Women v South Carolina Women [19] W 69-78
WNCAAB 12/07 00:00 - [249] Morgan State Women v South Carolina Women [25] W 38-104
WNCAAB 12/03 18:00 - [34] South Carolina Women v Duke Women [86] W 77-61
WNCAAB 12/01 00:00 - [50] South Carolina Women v North Carolina Women [88] W 65-58
WNCAAB 11/24 18:00 - [318] Mississippi Valley State Women v South Carolina Women [39] W 19-101

The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Under current head coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have been one of the top programs in the country, winning the NCAA Championship in 2017 and 2022. The program also enjoyed success under head coach Nancy Wilson during the 1980s in the Metro Conference, when it won five regular season conference championships and three conference tournament championships.

History

The Gamecocks first competed at an intercollegiate level in women's basketball in 1923, when they were called the Pullets (a young domestic hen, a play off "Gamecocks," which is a rooster).

The modern era of South Carolina women's basketball began when the Carolina Chicks took to the court in January 1974 under the guidance of Pam Backhaus. The inaugural team compiled a record of 15–7 and were the South Carolina AIAW champions. In 1977, with Pam Parsons as the head coach the women's basketball team, they changed their nickname to the Lady Gamecocks and made post-season trips every year during her four-year tenure.

During its eight seasons in the Metro Conference (now Conference USA after the 1995 reunification), the Lady Gamecocks won the regular season championship five times and the conference tournament three times.

When South Carolina joined the SEC, success was hard to come by during their first decade in one of the strongest conferences in women's basketball. They initially struggled to compete under head coaches Nancy Wilson and Susan Walvius. Walvius' teams in 2001–02 and 2002–03 broke through to finish 25–7 and 23–8, respectively, earning trips to the NCAA tournament and reaching the Elite Eight in 2002.

Walvius resigned after the 2007–08 season. On May 7, 2008, Dawn Staley was named the new head coach of the team now known as simply the "Gamecocks".

Under coach Staley, the Gamecocks improved or equaled their win total every season during her first seven years leading the program, culminating in a 34–3 record in 2014–15. That year they won the SEC regular season championship, the SEC Tournament championship and the NCAA East Region Championship. The season ended in the NCAA Final Four with a last second one-point loss to Notre Dame in the national semifinals.

The following year, the Gamecocks went undefeated in conference play, only to be stymied in the Sweet 16 by Syracuse. In 2016–17, the Gamecocks garnered their third straight sweep of the SEC regular season and tournament titles en route to their second Final Four. They defeated conference rival Mississippi State in the national championship game to win their first-ever national title.

In the 2018 SEC tournament, the Gamecocks defeated Mississippi State to win the SEC tournament, South Carolina is the only team to win the SEC tournament for four straight years. Their season came to an end when they were defeated by Connecticut in the Elite Eight.

In 2020, South Carolina finished 32–1 (16–0), led by the #1 ranked recruiting class and senior leadership of point guard Tyasha Harris. The Gamecocks defeated 14 ranked teams including their first-ever victory over UConn, and won both the SEC regular season and tournament titles. South Carolina won their final 26 games of the season and spent the final nine weeks as the AP #1 ranked team. Dawn Staley was named national coach of the year, and Aliyah Boston was named national freshman of the year, and SEC defensive player of the year. When the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely on March 12, South Carolina was ranked at the top of the AP and coaches' polls. Due to the unprecedented abrupt ending to the season following the SEC Championship win, Staley said they should be claim the mythical national championship, with the program making a claim through the size and location of the banner highlighting finishing #1 in the polls on December 31, 2020, at the 2020–21 conference season opener. As of the 2022-23 season, that banner size is identical to the two official championship banners, and located between the official championship banners. In 2021, the team reached the Final Four, losing to Stanford by a point.

On April 3, 2022, the Gamecocks won their 2nd national title with a 64–49 win over UConn, finishing the season 35–2 and being ranked #1 in both major polls for the entire season. Aliyah Boston won Player of the Year, and Dawn Staley was named Naismith Award winner as the best coach in the nation for 2022.

On February 18, 2024, South Carolina set a record for winning 43 straight SEC victories.

The South Carolina Women's basketball team is a highly competitive and talented group of female athletes who represent the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I basketball. The team is known for their strong defensive play, aggressive rebounding, and fast-paced offensive style. Led by head coach Dawn Staley, the team has consistently been a top contender in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and has made multiple appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including winning the national championship in 2017. The team's roster is filled with skilled players, including All-American guard Zia Cooke and forward Aliyah Boston, who was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020. With a winning tradition and a commitment to excellence, the South Carolina Women's basketball team is a force to be reckoned with on the court.