Short-Handed but Sharpshooting: South Carolina Guards Shine in Season Opener
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The 2025–26 season began with one of Dawn Staley’s smallest rosters in years, as South Carolina tipped off with only 11 players — its fewest since the 2020–21 campaign. That number dropped to 10 active players after senior forward Chloe Kitts suffered an early-season injury. The Gamecocks haven’t fielded such a limited rotation since 2017–18, when injuries cut that year’s lineup to just nine players.
With depth concerns evident, the smaller roster has opened doors for every Gamecock to see extended minutes — and it’s the backcourt that’s taking full advantage. In the season opener against Grand Canyon, South Carolina’s guards delivered in dominant fashion, combining for 62 of the team’s 94 points and knocking down 9-of-19 from three-point range.
“You can’t take anything away from a great team. You’ve got to pick your poison,” said Winston Gandy, Grand Canyon’s head coach and a former South Carolina assistant. “Dawn’s done a phenomenal job building the team where you have to literally pick your poison, and you’re at their mercy.”
A New Face, Familiar Chemistry
The Gamecocks’ guard group gained a major boost this offseason with the arrival of Ta’Niya Latson, a former All-American at Florida State and one-time high school teammate of senior leader Raven Johnson. Their shared history has already given the backcourt instant chemistry — something Staley said is invaluable with four new starters in the lineup.
“It’s good to have that instant chemistry from them playing high school and AAU together,” Staley said. “That’s something that we can bank. We just have to start connecting, just have a connection out there.”
For Johnson, reuniting with Latson has been seamless.
“My instinct is to go her way, like, find her. Don’t ask me why it’s like that, but it’s like that,” Johnson said. “She brings out the best in me, honestly. She makes me play harder than what I’m capable of.”
Efficiency Meets Aggression
Beyond the scoring explosion, the Gamecocks showcased balance and efficiency — recording 19 assists as a team, with contributions from nearly every position, including forward Joyce Edwards.
Staley praised her veteran guards — Latson, Tessa Johnson, and Raven Johnson — for their all-around play and ability to read the floor.
“They’re our most experienced guards, so you tend to expect those types of things,” Staley said. “… They’re very, very efficient. And, more likely, they’re getting some layups. You can’t just be a jump shooter. They’re attacking the basket; they’re getting layups. They’re in a pretty good rhythm, and they practice that way.”
South Carolina’s nine made threes — eight of them by guards — marked the team’s highest total since hitting 12 in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks surpassed nine threes just five times last season, winning those games by an average of 41 points.
Latson said the team’s long-range success was no accident.
“That was the goal. We wanted to get a lot of threes, especially the guards,” she said. “Coming out, we knew we had to shoot them, especially good open shots; we just had to create for each other.”
Finding Balance with Small-Ball Lineups
The guard-heavy roster gives Staley the flexibility to deploy four-guard lineups, a style she admits isn’t ideal but could prove useful against smaller, quicker opponents.
However, Staley emphasized that while the guards are carrying the load early, the team’s long-term goals depend on more than backcourt firepower.
“You can go pretty far with good guard play. But, at some point, you’re gonna need the bigs to come alive,” she said.
With a shortened roster and high expectations, South Carolina’s 2025–26 campaign is shaping up as a test of adaptability and endurance. But if the opener was any indication, the Gamecocks’ guards are more than ready to lead the charge.
