The question hanging over Columbia like game-day humidity is simple: can the South Carolina women’s basketball 2025-26 lineup vs UConn carry the Gamecocks to a third straight title-game appearance—and finally muscle past the Huskies again if it comes to that? Under Dawn Staley, who’s guided South Carolina to three national championships and a run of Final Fours that reads like a dynasty roll call, the expectation is sky-high and the margin for error thin.
Season frame: the bar is set at March (and April)
Staley enters Year 18 with the same hard edge and cool command—fresh off that 38–0 masterpiece in 2023–24 and another deep run last spring. Her résumé is the league standard: national titles in 2017, 2022 and 2024, and a fresh mega-extension that cemented her as the highest-paid coach in the women’s game. The target on South Carolina’s back hasn’t moved an inch.
The first whistle comes Nov. 3 vs. Grand Canyon in Columbia, a clean stage to test rotations at full speed. The building will hum, towels will spin, and everyone will be craning to see how Staley staggers minutes with a deeper frontcourt and a star scoring guard added to the mix.
Who starts on the wing: Tessa or Joyce?
With Chloe Kitts out for the season, the path clears for Tessa Johnson to step straight into the starting unit. Johnson’s freshman-year tape still pops—balanced footwork into that effortless catch-and-shoot, and the patience to slide into mid-range space without forcing it. She shot 43.2% from three during the championship season, the kind of gravity that widens driving lanes for everyone else. Expect her to open at the 2/3, with Joyce Edwards’ minutes rising as she acclimates.
– Johnson bio & shooting numbers: Gamecocks Athletics.
Bench punch: who replaces last year’s fireworks?
South Carolina led the nation in bench scoring a season ago, but those buckets walked out the door with departures and role changes. The backups won’t need to replicate the raw volume on Day 1, but they must deliver reliable creation. Keep an eye on the freshmen shooters—players who can dribble once, rise into a clean mid-range, and keep the ball humming.
Maddy McDaniel is the stabilizer. She sees the floor a beat early, makes the simple pass, and should be Staley’s first guard off the pine while the new faces settle. That’s the early-season lifeline: clean possessions, no wasted dribbles, and just enough pace to keep the pressure valve open.
Rotations with 10: a rolling platoon—used smartly
Staley has never been afraid to swap five-for-five to spike energy or reframe matchups. She can still do it this season, but the likely template is a heavy-minute starting core with a purposeful three-player bench wave. In those second-unit stretches, McDaniel runs point while the young wings space and cut; in the frontcourt, it’s about paint touches, not paint traffic. The goal: maintain pace and shot quality so the starters don’t have to play hero every night in January.
The bigs: real size, real ceiling
Here’s where the roster looks different—and more dangerous. Madina Okot, now in garnet, brings SEC-tested rebounding and a wide frame that seals space like a garage door. At Mississippi State, she averaged 9.6 boards with 64.9% FG, production that translates in any gym. If she simply rebounds to her norm and runs, South Carolina’s defensive glass turns into instant offense.
– Okot profile: Mississippi State bio • 2024-25 stats: ESPN.
Maryam Dauda looks poised for a leap. Teammates and staff have raved about her offseason, and Kitts’ injury opens real, meaningful minutes. If Dauda stacks healthy weeks and keeps the footwork tight on rim runs, Staley suddenly has 40 minutes of size without sacrificing touch or timing. That’s postseason currency.
Chemistry check: ball movement meets a true center
South Carolina’s identity under Staley is the extra pass—two to the strong side, skip to the shooter, and a layup when the defense finally sighs. Adding a true center re-centers the offense: high-low entries that bend help, kickouts that travel on a rope, and cleaner angles for drivers. The Raven Johnson–Ta’Niya Latson pairing should feel natural; they’ve been close for years, and both guards process the floor quickly.
And then there’s Latson herself—arguably the most dangerous one-on-one scorer Staley has had. At Florida State she lived in the 21–25 points per game neighborhood, hit tough twos, and piled free throws like a metronome. That alpha scoring unclogs end-game possessions when defense has solved your first and second options.
– Latson career numbers: ESPN player page • Background & records: Tomahawk Nation.
Built to beat UConn?
UConn’s problem for opponents is the parade of shot-makers. Trading threes and long twos with them can turn into a math test you fail in the fourth quarter. South Carolina’s answer this season looks more modular:
- Go-to bucket: Latson’s creation late-clock reduces empty trips.
- Paint control: Okot’s rebounding plus Dauda’s size means fewer second chances for elite guards and cleaner outlets for runouts.
- Spacing: Johnson’s 43% from deep keeps the weak-side tagger honest, opening slips and middle drives.
- Coaching edge: Staley’s track record in March isn’t a vibe; it’s documented. Three titles, five straight Final Fours in the last decade’s span, and the coolest sideline in the sport.
That combination addresses last year’s two pain points: late-game shot creation and reliable size behind the point of attack. If Latson lands anywhere near her Florida State volume and efficiency, if Okot hoovers the glass at her SEC rate, and if Johnson’s shooting carries over with a higher usage, South Carolina can drag UConn into a style war they prefer—one with fewer second chances and higher-leverage, paint-to-perimeter reads.
What to watch on opening night
- First-quarter tempo: Do the Gamecocks push off every clean rebound? (Early sign that the lanes are there.)
- Second unit shot diet: Are bench wings hunting clean catch-and-shoots or dribbling into traffic?
- Two-big looks: How do Okot and Dauda share space in horn sets and high-low actions?
- Crunch-time set calls: Who owns the last five minutes—Latson isolations, Johnson relocations, or post seals?
Bottom line: The roster is absolutely built with UConn in mind—longer, stronger, and clearer at the end of games. If the chemistry clicks as quickly as it looks on paper, the South Carolina women’s basketball 2025-26 lineup vs UConn has every tool to win the moments that decide March.
External sources referenced in story (for readers who want more):
- South Carolina schedule & opener vs Grand Canyon (Nov. 3): gamecocksonline.com.
- Dawn Staley championships/tenure: Gamecocks Athletics bio.
- 2024 national title recap: People.
- Ta’Niya Latson stats: ESPN.
- Madina Okot bio/stats: Mississippi State, ESPN .
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