South Carolina shook off a sluggish opening to roll past Duke 83-66 in the Players Era Championship, and several key moments stood out from the victory.
– Dawn Staley wasted no time adjusting her rotation. Adhel Tac — normally the final player to check in — became the first substitution on Wednesday. Tac logged only four minutes in the first half, but the message behind the move was clear.
With the tournament requiring teams to play on back-to-back days, Staley wasn’t about to exhaust her roster in Game 1. Her plan was to keep everyone as fresh as possible for Thursday.
Even though the bench contributed just 11 points, they still delivered in other ways. Maryam Dauda grabbed six rebounds, Agot Makeer added four points and four boards, and Maddy McDaniel continued to provide a noticeable spark at point guard.
It was a dramatic contrast to Texas, which relied heavily on its starters—one Longhorn played all 40 minutes, two others logged 39, and the team only used seven players total. Entering Thursday’s matchup, South Carolina should clearly be the better-rested team.
– Ta’Niya Latson and Tessa Johnson didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard—but maybe they’re saving it for Thursday. Latson finished 6-for-13, while Johnson went 2-for-6.
Even with an uneven shooting night, Latson made a strong impact by constantly attacking the paint, forcing Duke’s defense to collapse and freeing up teammates for better looks. She also kept pushing in transition, scoring a trio of huge fast-break layups in the second half. She proved she can play hard and produce even when the jumper isn’t falling.
– Joyce Edwards delivered another standout performance—22 points, six assists, and six rebounds—but this one felt different. This time, she played with a clear killer instinct.
In the fourth quarter, after Duke sliced the lead back to eight, Edwards took over. She caught the ball on the baseline, locked eyes with her defender, and drilled a jumper right over her.
I try to avoid leaning too heavily into the A’ja Wilson comparisons—they’re unfair to Edwards—but watching her hit that shot on Wilson’s home floor, all I could think was, that was an A’ja Wilson clutch moment.
