South Carolina closed out its final warm-up game before heading to the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas with a dominant 121–49 victory over Queens. Several key takeaways emerged from the blowout win.
For one, the return of sophomore guard Maddy McDaniel immediately shifted the dynamic of South Carolina’s depth. The Gamecocks managed well in her absence, but her presence clearly elevates the second unit. McDaniel may be the quickest player on the roster, and her ability to push the pace rivals that of Raven Johnson, all while maintaining full-court vision. Like Johnson, she has a knack for making her teammates more effective.
With McDaniel back, the Gamecocks’ bench exploded for 33 points, their second-highest total of the season. Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda both turned in impressive performances, strengthened by having a true point guard guiding the second group.
McDaniel played only 12 minutes as she works her way back into rhythm, finishing with two points and three assists, but even that limited action was enough to give South Carolina confidence in its bench heading into Las Vegas.
With McDaniel still on a minutes restriction, head coach Dawn Staley used the second half to experiment, giving Ta’Niya Latson extended time at point guard. Latson performed well, recording a season-high five assists. The offense flourished with her running the show, dropping 30 points in the third quarter and 33 in the fourth.
While Latson isn’t a natural point guard and her instinct is always to score, that trait isn’t a problem. She added eight points in the fourth quarter and went 4-for-5 at the free throw line. Should South Carolina ever need Latson at the point in a tight situation, she has shown enough to earn Staley’s trust.
The Gamecocks’ transition game was on another level, finishing with a jaw-dropping 56 fast-break points—far surpassing their previous season high of 37 against Bowling Green.
South Carolina didn’t just run; it shared the ball beautifully. Five different players recorded at least three assists, showcasing a team-wide commitment to making the extra pass. That unselfishness generated wave after wave of easy transition buckets and powered the Gamecocks to yet another dominant performance.
