Injury Cloud Hangs Over South Carolina’s Tournament Opener — But the Gamecocks Are Still Heavy Favorites
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina enters its NCAA Tournament opener Saturday carrying something no No. 1 seed wants heading into March Madness — injury uncertainty.
As the Gamecocks prepare to host No. 16 seed Southern at Colonial Life Arena in a 1 p.m. ET tip-off on ABC, Dawn Staley confirmed Friday that two players are dealing with health concerns that could limit their availability — and a third has been managing a knee issue that is worth monitoring heading into the postseason.
Maddy McDaniel: Under the Weather
Sophomore guard Maddy McDaniel, one of South Carolina’s most improved contributors off the bench down the stretch of the regular season, is dealing with an illness that kept her from practicing Friday. Staley addressed the situation with cautious optimism, though she stopped short of guaranteeing McDaniel’s availability.
“Maddy’s a little bit under the weather,” Staley said. “But hopefully another day’s rest, hopefully she’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
McDaniel’s illness is the more recoverable of the two injury situations. A 24-hour turnaround from a non-physical ailment is feasible, and the coaching staff’s hope is that additional rest between Friday and Saturday’s tip gives her enough time to be ready. Still, in tournament basketball, even a diminished bench contributor can disrupt a team’s rhythm and depth in ways that don’t show up until the game is already underway.
Adhel Tac: Still in the Boot
The more concerning development involves sophomore forward Adhel Tac, who has now missed South Carolina’s last 10 games with a lower leg injury. Her last appearance on the court came February 5 against Mississippi State — and based on what was visible at Friday’s practice, her return is not imminent.
Staley’s update on Tac was straightforward and sobering.
“Adhel is still walking around in her boot,” she said.
Tac was present at practice Friday but did not participate in team drills, spending the media-permitted portion of practice on an exercise bike off to the side — the kind of modified activity that signals a player is still in recovery rather than preparation. The boot has been a consistent sight with Tac over the past several weeks, and there is no indication that Saturday’s first-round game will mark her return.
For a team that lost Chloe Kitts to a torn ACL before the season even began, Tac’s extended absence has been another significant piece of the depth puzzle that Staley has had to solve throughout 2025-26.
Latson and Edwards: Reasons to Monitor, Not Panic
Two other health-related details emerged from Friday’s practice that are worth noting, even if neither appears to be cause for serious concern at this stage.
Ta’Niya Latson, who has been wearing a brace on her left knee since early February, was spotted at practice Friday without the brace — a potentially encouraging sign that the issue is improving as the Gamecocks enter the postseason. No update was provided by the coaching staff, but the absence of the brace is a development worth watching in Saturday’s availability reports.
Joyce Edwards, meanwhile, was seen wearing some kind of wrap or brace on her right shoulder during Friday’s drills. The program’s leading scorer and the engine of South Carolina’s offensive attack showed no apparent limitation from the wrap — she was a full and active participant in all drills — and it remains unclear whether this is a new development or simply part of Edwards’ regular preparation routine. Until there is reason for concern, the assumption should be that she is healthy.
The Official Word: Availability Reports Coming
Formal clarity on all player availability will come through the NCAA Tournament’s player availability report system. The initial report is due Friday at 9 p.m., with a game-day update released two hours before Saturday’s tip-off. Both Tac and McDaniel’s statuses will be reflected in those documents.
The Bottom Line: South Carolina Will Be Fine
Even in the worst-case scenario — Tac and McDaniel both unavailable Saturday — the Gamecocks are not in any genuine danger against Southern. Analytics site BartTorvik.com has South Carolina as a 50-point favorite, assigning the Gamecocks a 100 percent win probability against the Lady Jaguars.
The historical record supports that projection. In the entire history of the women’s NCAA Tournament, a No. 16 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed only once — making upsets of this magnitude genuinely extraordinary rather than merely unlikely.
South Carolina’s depth, talent level, and home-court advantage at Colonial Life Arena — where the Gamecocks are 21-2 in NCAA Tournament games — provide more than enough cushion to absorb the absence of two rotation players against a No. 16 seed.
The injury news matters most not for Saturday, but for what comes after. If McDaniel’s illness lingers into next week and Tac remains in her boot through the regional rounds, South Carolina’s depth — already tested throughout a season that saw Watkins sit out and Kitts lost to injury — will face its most consequential examination yet.
For now, the focus is on getting healthy, getting available, and getting through Saturday. The rest of March can wait until the bracket narrows.
