South Carolina had high hopes for Adhel Tac entering her second season. After 11 games, Tac has provided a mixed bag of results.
Tac enrolled early at South Carolina in January 2024 to focus on rehabbing her second straight season-ending leg injury. She faced such a long rehab road that she was just barely cleared to play in time for the last season.
The layoff showed. Despite South Carolina needing more post production, and Tac being the former second-ranked post in her class, Tac rarely played except in blowouts. She wasn’t in game shape, and her skills were rusty after two years of not playing.
This offseason, Tac finally had a chance to focus on improvement, not rehab, and she made what Dawn Staley described as a “180:” she slimmed down, practiced her footwork, and looked like a former top recruit again.
South Carolina added transfer Madina Okot in the offseason, a proven veteran post, so the Gamecocks didn’t need Tac to develop into an All-American overnight. But on a thin roster with just 10 players, there would be no more hiding on the end of the bench.
Tac had a four-game run at the end of November that made Staley confident that she had turned the corner. It began with Tac’s first career double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds, against Queens.
“I feel really comfortable on the court, and I give all that credit to my teammates and my coaches,” Tac said after the game. “They do so much, pour into me. But I know there’s still stuff I’ve got to work on, like my free throws. It was a good thing for me. It’s been a really good confidence booster for me to be out there and do the things that I’ve been working on in practice and being able to actually put it all together in a game.”
When Tac grabbed her 10th rebound, she got the biggest cheer of the day from fans and her teammates.
“Adhel, she does a lot for this team,” Raven Johnson said. “It’s the little things she does for the team, and I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of things you don’t want to do that she does for us. Seeing her happy and smiling means a lot to us.”
Tac followed that with a solid game against Duke, and then a really impressive performance against Texas, where she had two points, four rebounds, and two blocks in just eight minutes. Staley singled out Tac as one of the bright spots from the loss.
“We’re a little more comfortable with putting Adhel Tac in the game,” Staley said. “She gave us valuable minutes. I like her energy and effort out there, and I like her rebounding.”
Tac had another nice game at Louisville, but only played three minutes because Staley couldn’t take Okot off the floor. She showed enough to convince Staley to give Tac her first career start alongside Okot against NC Central, replacing guard Tessa Johnson, who missed the game with an illness.
“She earned it,” Staley said. “I wanted to see what they look like playing together, because it wasn’t bad for a short period of time (against) Texas, they played a little bit. I want them to play well together. So they can create an option for us and then slide Joyce (Edwards) over to the perimeter.”
With Okot sidelined, Tac got her second career start against Penn State and Gracie Merkle, who was 10th in the nation in scoring and first in field goal percentage entering the game.
It was a clear vote of confidence. Staley has been trying to instill confidence all season, and it hasn’t been lost on Tac.
“My team, my coaches, they do a great job with pushing a whole bunch of confidence to me. That and the work I’ve been putting in. I want to do more, I want to be able to help my team out more, so I’ve got to give more,” Tac said in early December. “It’s a really great thing. You want your coach have confidence in you, you want to be able to have your coach trust you, but I also feel like that just means more for me because it means I’ve got to continue going on an upward trend because I don’t know what situation I might find myself in the game now that I am playing more.”
But Tac has had trouble rewarding the confidence. In each of her two starts, she had just two points and three rebounds, despite playing a career-high 22 minutes against NC Central and 15 minutes against Penn State.
There were extenuating circumstances in both games. Ta’Niya Latson and Joyce Edwards (combined 57 points) took over against the Eagles. Penn State played a zone that made things difficult for Tac. Tac still isn’t capable of playing 30 minutes in a game. But South Carolina still needs more from her.
From coaches to players, everyone at South Carolina raves about Tac’s understanding of the game and communication skills. According to Staley, by February of 2024, barely a month after joining the team, Tac was already calling out plays in film sessions.
“Adhel, the things she does,” Raven Johnson said. “There’s not a day that we don’t hear her voice. She’s like a mother figure on this team.”
Especially without Chloe Kitts (injury) and Sania Feagin (WNBA), Tac’s vocal leadership in the frontcourt is important.
“It’s definitely something I take pride in,” Tac said. “I’m just by nature somebody who talks. Sometimes I might not want to do it, but I also see the difference that it makes when it is quiet, and my coaches look to me, or my teammates look to me, and they’re like, Hey, can you keep talking? We’re better when you talk to us. I feel like my ability to talk and also process for others helps with the team.”
“I take pride in the fact that I’m able to make differences that don’t show up on the stat sheet,” she added.
It’s a noble idea, but South Carolina needs Tac to show up on the stat sheet, too.
“I think we can get a little bit more out of Ahdel and Maryam (Dauda), so we just continue to work with that,” Staley said after the Penn State game. “I think it’s good that Madina didn’t play, you know, and they can build some confidence. Definitely defensively, offensively we’ll get them going a little bit.”
Here’s a rewritten version of the article, rephrased in my own words to ensure originality while preserving all direct quotes and key facts intact.
South Carolina entered Adhel Tac’s sophomore year with strong expectations. Through 11 games this season, though, her contributions have been inconsistent.
Tac joined the program early in January 2024, prioritizing recovery from back-to-back leg injuries that sidelined her for full seasons. Her extended rehabilitation meant she only received clearance right before the prior campaign’s end.
The time away was evident on the court. Even as the Gamecocks sought stronger interior scoring and Tac ranked as the No. 2 post prospect in her recruiting class, she saw limited action—mostly in lopsided wins. Lacking match fitness and with skills dulled from two years sidelined, she struggled to contribute.
This past offseason marked a shift: Tac could emphasize skill-building over healing. Coach Dawn Staley called it a “180:” she shed weight, refined her footwork, and recaptured her elite recruit form.
The team bolstered its frontcourt by adding transfer Madina Okot, a battle-tested veteran, easing pressure on Tac to emerge as an instant star. Yet with a roster of only 10 players, bench obscurity was no longer an option.
A strong four-game stretch late November convinced Staley that Tac was progressing. It kicked off with her first collegiate double-double—11 points and 10 rebounds—versus Queens.
“I feel really comfortable on the court, and I give all that credit to my teammates and my coaches,” Tac said after the game. “They do so much, pour into me. But I know there’s still stuff I’ve got to work on, like my free throws. It was a good thing for me. It’s been a really good confidence booster for me to be out there and do the things that I’ve been working on in practice and being able to actually put it all together in a game.”
Her 10th rebound sparked the loudest crowd roar of the day, celebrated by fans and teammates alike.
“Adhel, she does a lot for this team,” Raven Johnson said. “It’s the little things she does for the team, and I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of things you don’t want to do that she does for us. Seeing her happy and smiling means a lot to us.”
Tac built on that with a steady outing against Duke, followed by a standout effort versus Texas—two points, four rebounds, and two blocks in eight minutes. Staley highlighted her as a positive in the defeat.
“We’re a little more comfortable with putting Adhel Tac in the game,” Staley said. “She gave us valuable minutes. I like her energy and effort out there, and I like her rebounding.”
She flashed promise again at Louisville but logged just three minutes, as Okot dominated the post. That performance earned Tac her debut start next to Okot against NC Central, filling in for ill guard Tessa Johnson.
“She earned it,” Staley said. “I wanted to see what they look like playing together, because it wasn’t bad for a short period of time (against) Texas, they played a little bit. I want them to play well together. So they can create an option for us and then slide Joyce (Edwards) over to the perimeter.”
Okot’s absence gave Tac another start against Penn State and center Gracie Merkle, who ranked 10th nationally in scoring and first in field-goal efficiency entering the matchup. It signaled clear trust from Staley, who has emphasized building Tac’s belief all season—a message that’s resonated.
“My team, my coaches, they do a great job with pushing a whole bunch of confidence to me. That and the work I’ve been putting in. I want to do more, I want to be able to help my team out more, so I’ve got to give more,” Tac said in early December. “It’s a really great thing. You want your coach have confidence in you, you want to be able to have your coach trust you, but I also feel like that just means more for me because it means I’ve got to continue going on an upward trend because I don’t know what situation I might find myself in the game now that I am playing more.”
Tac hasn’t fully capitalized on that faith yet. In both starts, she managed only two points and three rebounds—despite career-best 22 minutes against NC Central and 15 versus Penn State.
Context played a role: Teammates Ta’Niya Latson and Joyce Edwards erupted for 57 points combined against the Eagles, while Penn State’s zone defense challenged her. Tac also can’t sustain heavy minutes. Still, the Gamecocks require greater output.
From staff to teammates, all praise Tac’s basketball IQ and vocal presence. Staley noted that by February 2024—just weeks after arriving—Tac was already directing plays during film review.
“Adhel, the things she does,” Raven Johnson said. “There’s not a day that we don’t hear her voice. She’s like a mother figure on this team.”
Her frontcourt communication carries extra weight amid absences like Chloe Kitts (injured) and Sania Feagin (in the WNBA).
“It’s definitely something I take pride in,” Tac said. “I’m just by nature somebody who talks. Sometimes I might not want to do it, but I also see the difference that it makes when it is quiet, and my coaches look to me, or my teammates look to me, and they’re like, Hey, can you keep talking? We’re better when you talk to us. I feel like my ability to talk and also process for others helps with the team.”
“I take pride in the fact that I’m able to make differences that don’t show up on the stat sheet,” she added.
Such intangibles matter, but South Carolina demands visible stats from Tac too.
“I think we can get a little bit more out of Ahdel and Maryam (Dauda), so we just continue to work with that,” Staley said after the Penn State game. “I think it’s good that Madina didn’t play, you know, and they can build some confidence. Definitely defensively, offensively we’ll get them going a little bit.”
