South Carolina Opens Preseason with a Fresh Vibe — But True Team Chemistry Will Show in March
South Carolina women’s basketball officially kicked off preseason practice this week, though the Gamecocks have been grinding throughout the summer. Over the next six weeks, Dawn Staley’s squad will fine-tune plays and strategy, but there’s something less tangible — team chemistry — that may prove just as important.
The challenge is, media access rules make it difficult to gauge that chemistry until March. During the postseason, open locker rooms offer rare glimpses into how players truly interact, revealing unspoken dynamics and relationships. Even then, it’s part observation, part guesswork.
Every season, Staley introduces an official theme to highlight her program’s goals. But often, a more organic, unofficial theme emerges that better reflects the team’s personality.
Two years ago, that theme became “Dawn’s Daycare,” an identity embraced by coaches, fans, and players alike. The group’s lighthearted, carefree attitude carried them to a perfect record and just the 10th undefeated season in NCAA history.
Last season, though still jokingly labeled “Dawn’s Daycare,” the mood was different. Pressure to stay perfect weighed heavily. After UCLA snapped their winning streak, guard Tessa Johnson captured that tension. When I joked I’d forgotten how to cover a loss, she flatly responded, “I guess we gave you something to write about.”
It wasn’t that the team stopped having fun — they were still goofy and playful — but the carefree spirit that fueled their 38-0 run was missing. The weight of expectation changed everything.
Pat Riley once called it “The Disease of Me.” When a program wins big, the outside world wants a piece of it. Though there were no signs of outright conflict, the locker room felt different. Players clustered in smaller groups rather than as one united bunch.
Some of that was harmless. Bree Hall, who proudly dubbed herself the “aunt” of Dawn’s Daycare, often hung at the edge of the chaos, rolling her eyes but never truly apart. Others, like MiLaysia Fulwiley, often sat isolated. A rising star, Fulwiley disliked group interviews and the attention that came with her fame, even as she remained one of the most visible Gamecocks.
She wasn’t the problem — just an example of how the vibes had shifted. The team had plenty to lose, and it showed.
Now, as a new season begins, it’s too early to say for sure what the mood will be. Social media offers only hints, but so far, those hints are positive. Tessa Johnson and Chloe Kitts, longtime best friends, appear refreshed and happy. Raven Johnson seems energized by being reunited with Ta’Niya Latson, her high school teammate and close friend. Freshmen Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell are already taking on little-sister roles, while teammates like Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda seem universally beloved.
From the outside looking in, this group looks like it genuinely enjoys one another.
But, as always, the real test comes in March. Until then, all we can do is watch, wait — and pick up on the good vibrations.
