South Carolina is aiming to rebound from its first loss of the season as it heads to Louisville for the ACC/SEC Challenge. Ahead of Thursday’s matchup, here are five key storylines to keep an eye on.
1. Lessons Learned?
After falling to Texas, Dawn Staley emphasized that the defeat was more instructive than discouraging.
“I’m not upset at all at this game,” Staley said, noting that the film provided valuable teaching moments and that her team nearly pulled off a win.
Unlike UCLA and Texas, who jumped right back into games on Sunday, both South Carolina and Duke benefited from several days off to regroup, practice, and focus on adjustments.
“We got two days (of practice) in, which was good,” Staley said. “It was really good to get some practice in.”
2. Don’t Panic
Losses are so infrequent for South Carolina that even a narrow defeat can feel alarming. But this one was far from catastrophic.
The Gamecocks were beaten by a top-five team in a two-point buzzer-beater while playing on the second day of a back-to-back—despite missing 13 layups in the first half.
Staley reminded everyone that there’s no reason for overreaction:
“It’s not anything for us that’s like the sky is falling. It’s a one-possession game, and this team is still trying to find itself. This isn’t the team we’ve had for years,” she said.
“You can’t really be upset because you can point to things. It wasn’t effort, it was more of execution of what we needed to be executed.”
Forward Adhel Tac echoed that sentiment.
“It’s about the little things,” Tac said. “Those top 25 games, those games matter… Really, for us, it’s going to be self-inflicted wounds… missed layups or shooting free throws… hustling through the ball, those extra plays, stuff we know we can do.”
3. Bench Production Concerns
South Carolina’s lack of depth scoring has become one of the most discussed issues of the week.
The bench contributed just two points, four rebounds, and two assists in the loss to Texas—numbers that simply won’t hold up against elite opponents.
Still, Staley isn’t sounding any alarms.
“It looks a lot easier than it is. We’ve got to grow and develop our bench,” she said.
“We can’t go a whole season playing six or seven. We’ve got to be able to get to eight or nine comfortably. The only way we’re going to be able to do that is to put them out there. Whether they something down their leg or not, they’ve got to grow.”
4. No Agot Makeer
Freshman Agot Makeer will not travel with the team to Louisville as she remains in concussion protocol. Her absence further tightens South Carolina’s already thin rotation.
5. Scouting Louisville
South Carolina’s first traditional road game of the year comes in a tough environment, with Louisville planning a stripe-out at the KFC Yum! Center—white shirts for even sections, black for odd.
Efficiency is the foundation of Louisville’s approach. The Cardinals average 81.2 points, hit 8.1 threes per game, and take nearly one-third of their shots from deep.
They rank:
- 51st nationally in field goal percentage (45.9%)
- 42nd in three-point percentage (36.3%)
- 9th in fewest turnovers per game (11.1)
- 38th in turnover margin (+6.44)
That ball security makes it difficult for opponents like South Carolina to generate transition offense.
Staley knows the Cardinals will force the Gamecocks to stay sharp:
“Just tough. They’re good at home as well,” she said.
“They like to play a lot of different defenses, so point guard play is going to be really important.”
Louisville’s top threats include:
- Tajianna Roberts, sophomore guard, averaging 13.3 points
- Laura Ziegler, a St. Joseph’s transfer, averaging 12.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists
The Cardinals’ two losses came against UConn (79–66) and Kentucky (72–62). In both games, they shot under 40% and committed some of their fewest turnovers of the season.
Staley said the challenge will be defending with discipline:
“They’re going to challenge us to not fall asleep in transition and not fall asleep in our half-court defense. We’ve got to execute from a defensive standpoint.”
Game Details
Who: No. 2 South Carolina (7–1) at No. 22 Louisville (7–2, 1–0 ACC)
When: Thursday, December 4, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
Watch: ESPN
