South Carolina Women’s Basketball 2025-26 Preview: Staley Reloads, but Depth and Injury Loom Large
COLUMBIA — The standard for South Carolina women’s basketball remains sky-high. After five straight Final Four runs and three national championship appearances in the past four seasons, the Gamecocks open the 2025-26 campaign chasing another title under Coach Dawn Staley, who enters her 18th year leading the program.
South Carolina will be without a key piece, however — forward Chloe Kitts, a versatile two-year starter who suffered a torn ACL in preseason. Her absence leaves a gap in both scoring and rebounding that Staley must fill as the team prepares for one last exhibition against North Carolina (Oct. 30) before opening the season at home against Grand Canyon (Nov. 3).
Despite the setback, expectations are still national-title high. Staley’s roster adds elite talent through the portal, headlined by Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson, last year’s national scoring leader (25.2 ppg), and 6-foot-6 Mississippi State transfer Madina Okot, who impressed in an exhibition against Anderson with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
“Madina gives us something we haven’t had — length, rim protection, and the ability to score inside,” Staley said after the game. “And Ta’Niya’s scoring speaks for itself. She fits our system perfectly.”
Sophomore Joyce Edwards also looks ready for a breakout, dropping 27 points in the exhibition. Together, the trio forms a new offensive core capable of carrying the Gamecocks through a challenging schedule.
That slate includes marquee non-conference matchups versus No. 16 Southern Cal (Nov. 15), No. 6 Duke, No. 3 Texas, and No. 4 UCLA, followed by SEC showdowns with Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and defending SEC champion LSU.
Still, South Carolina’s biggest battle might be roster depth. Only 10 players are fully healthy, and five bench players combined for less than 5 minutes per game last season. A year ago, the Gamecocks led the nation in bench scoring (40.3 ppg), but Staley’s rotation may be thinner this time around.
“This team has heart,” Staley said. “But staying healthy is everything. One injury or foul trouble could change everything.”
The Gamecocks are built for another deep tournament run, but analysts believe the lack of depth could cost them late. Even with Latson’s scoring punch and Okot’s dominance in the paint, the margin for error is small.
Prediction: South Carolina reaches its sixth straight Final Four, but the journey ends there — just short of another championship banner.
