You know that sound—sneakers squealing, balls thumping, coaches shouting (in a loving way, of course). Yep, preseason’s back in Columbia, and South Carolina women’s basketball is officially rolling again. Except, well, Coach Dawn Staley isn’t sugarcoating it: “We’re behind schedule.” Yeah, not ideal.
A Whole New Vibe, Still Chasing Rings
Don’t panic—there’s still plenty of firepower. Joyce Edwards? Still the bucket-getter. Chloe Kitts, basically vacuuming up boards. And Raven Johnson? That’s your floor boss right there. But here’s the kicker: three starters are out the door, MiLaysia Fulwiley (sixth woman energy for days) is gone, and Winston Gandy dipped for a head gig at Grand Canyon. So, uh, yeah. Things look different.
But this is South Carolina, not some rebuilding project. They scooped up a loaded recruiting class and snagged some prime transfers. If you’re shooting for titles, you don’t have time to babysit—these new folks gotta jump in, swim, and not ask for floaties.
Ta’Niya Latson: Bucket Getter Supreme
Let’s be real, one name’s got everyone buzzing: Ta’Niya Latson. She wrecked scoreboards at Florida State last season—25.2 points a night, just casually. She’s the top scorer in the country who wanted a bigger crowd and a little more WNBA spotlight. Respect.
Coach Staley’s all in: “She’s mature, she grinds, and she just wants to win. We’ll need her to do the same stuff she did at FSU, but she’ll learn a few new tricks with us too.”
And the cherry on top? Latson is reuniting with her BFF and old high school teammate, Raven Johnson. Those two basically read each other’s minds on the court. Johnson’s out here grinning: “It’s like having Kamilla back. I love her. Glad she’s here.” If that connection clicks, Johnson might just snap back from last season’s mini-slump—and the pressure lifts off the rookies a bit.
Freshmen on the Rise: Makeer & McDowell
So, Latson’s the headline, but don’t sleep on the newbies: Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell. They might not have the hype (yet), but apparently, they’re picking things up at warp speed.
Johnson’s saying, “They learn fast, crazy basketball IQ. Never seen it from freshmen.” Coach Staley’s vibing with that too—she likes their guts and the fact they’re not shy about letting it fly. Confidence for days.
New Guy on the Bench
Switching it up on the coaching squad, too. Wendale Farrow joins the crew, taking over after Gandy’s exit. Dawn’s already joking he’s gone full southerner after a few months. If history’s any indication (the last two assistants bounced straight to head gigs), Farrow might wanna stick around for a bit—good things just seem to happen on this bench.
So…Why the “Behind” Talk?
There’s talent all over the place, so what’s up with the slow start? Basically, the summer was a mess. Everyone was everywhere: Edwards was hooping for Team USA, McDowell did her thing for Brazil, Makeer repped Canada, and McDowell even bounced straight to Czechia for more games. Barely anyone was in the same zip code, let alone the same gym.
“We didn’t have our squad together,” Staley shrugged. “We tossed in a few offensive concepts, but that’s about it.” So, most of the summer was solo grind time—working on skills, defense, hoping that the “teamwork” part just magically falls into place. (Spoiler: It usually does when everyone’s this good.)
But hey, Staley’s not worried. “They work. They listen. They want it. They’re getting better, even if we haven’t had the whole crew.” That’s a start.
The Grind Starts Now
First exhibition’s coming up quick—Anderson on October 24. The Colonial Life Arena’s gonna be loud, expectations are wild, and with Latson going off, Johnson running the show, and the new kids hungry to prove themselves? This is gonna be fun.
Sure, they’re playing catch-up. But with this much talent, don’t bet against them. The march to March (see what I did there?) starts now.
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