COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 2 South Carolina women’s basketball team heads to Atlanta for its final exhibition matchup of the preseason, taking on No. 11 North Carolina in the Bad Boy Mowers Series – Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. Fans can tune in on 98.5 FM WOMG.
Gamecock Highlights
Head coach Dawn Staley enters her 26th season overall and 18th with South Carolina, where she’s built a dynasty featuring eight 30-win seasons since 2015-16 and at least 35 wins in each of the last four years. Over the last three seasons, the Gamecocks boast a remarkable 109-5 record, capturing two national championships and three straight SEC regular-season and tournament titles.
Thursday’s game marks South Carolina’s third consecutive exhibition against a Division I opponent — but its first ever versus a ranked team. Under Staley, the Gamecocks are 17-0 in exhibition play, including last week’s dominant 112-31 victory over Anderson.
The 2025-26 schedule features 10 games against preseason-ranked opponents, six of which are against top-10 teams. South Carolina, ranked No. 2 nationally, has appeared in the AP Top 3 a total of 134 times during Staley’s tenure.
The Gamecocks are again well-represented on Naismith Hall of Fame position award watchlists this year:
- Raven Johnson – Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award
- Ta’Niya Latson – Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award
- Maryam Dauda – Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award
The upcoming announcements for the Katrina McClain (Power Forward) and Lisa Leslie (Center) Awards could add more Gamecocks, who have a rich history in these honors — including five Lisa Leslie Awards (A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston) and one Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Zia Cooke).
Standout Performances
In the preseason opener against Anderson, Madina Okot shined with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and six blocks, while freshman Agot Makeer added 16 points and five steals. Latson contributed 14 points in her debut, showing why ESPN named her the most impactful transfer in women’s basketball after averaging 25.2 points per game at Florida State.
Joyce Edwards, fresh off representing USA Basketball at the FIBA AmeriCup and Nations League, led the team with 27 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in that win.
Veteran point guard Raven Johnson, an Atlanta native, will return home as the Gamecocks’ on-court leader. Johnson, who has 410 career assists, has helped guide South Carolina to four SEC titles, three tournament crowns, and two national championships during her tenure.
South Carolina will open its home schedule on Monday, Nov. 3, hosting Grand Canyon at Colonial Life Arena. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will stream live on SECN+.
