South Carolina Gamecocks | ||||
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University | University of South Carolina | |||
All-time record | 1020–535 (.656) | |||
Athletic director | Ray Tanner | |||
Head coach | Dawn Staley (16th season) | |||
Conference | SEC | |||
Location | Columbia, South Carolina | |||
Arena | Colonial Life Arena (Capacity: 18,000) | |||
Nickname | Gamecocks | |||
Student section | The Cockpit | |||
Colors | Garnet and black [1] | |||
Uniforms | ||||
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NCAA tournament champions | ||||
2017, 2022, 2024 | ||||
NCAA tournament Final Four | ||||
2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
NCAA tournament Elite Eight | ||||
2002, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
1982, 1990, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
NCAA tournament second round | ||||
1982, 1988, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
NCAA tournament appearances | ||||
1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
AIAW tournament Final Four | ||||
1980 | ||||
AIAW tournament Elite Eight | ||||
1980 | ||||
AIAW tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
1980 | ||||
AIAW tournament appearances | ||||
1973, 1980 | ||||
Conference tournament champions | ||||
Metro Conference: 1986, 1988, 1989 SEC: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 | ||||
Conference regular season champions | ||||
Metro Conference: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 SEC: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Under current head coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have been one of the top programs in the country, winning the NCAA Championship in 2017, 2022, and 2024. The program also enjoyed success under head coach Nancy Wilson during the 1980s in the Metro Conference, when it won five regular season conference championships and three conference tournament championships.
The Gamecocks first competed at an intercollegiate level in women's basketball in 1923, when they were called the Pullets (a young domestic hen, a play off "Gamecocks," which is a rooster).
The modern era of South Carolina women's basketball began when the Carolina Chicks took to the court in January 1974 under the guidance of Pam Backhaus. The inaugural team compiled a record of 15–7 and were the South Carolina AIAW champions. In 1977, with Pam Parsons as the head coach the women's basketball team, they changed their nickname to the Lady Gamecocks and made postseason trips every year during her four-year tenure.
During its eight seasons in the Metro Conference (now Conference USA after the 1995 reunification), the Lady Gamecocks won the regular season championship five times and the conference tournament three times. [2]
When South Carolina joined the SEC, success was hard to come by during their first decade in one of the strongest conferences in women's basketball. They initially struggled to compete under head coaches Nancy Wilson and Susan Walvius. Walvius' teams in 2001–02 and 2002–03 broke through to finish 25–7 and 23–8, respectively, earning trips to the NCAA tournament and reaching the Elite Eight in 2002.
Walvius resigned after the 2007–08 season. On May 7, 2008, Dawn Staley was named the new head coach of the team now known as simply the "Gamecocks".
Under coach Staley, the Gamecocks improved or equaled their win total every season during her first seven years leading the program, culminating in a 34–3 record in 2014–15. That year they won the SEC regular season championship, the SEC Tournament championship and the NCAA East Region Championship. The season ended in the NCAA Final Four with a last second one-point loss to Notre Dame in the national semifinals.
The following year, the Gamecocks went undefeated in conference play, only to be stymied in the Sweet 16 by Syracuse. In 2016–17, the Gamecocks garnered their third straight sweep of the SEC regular season and tournament titles en route to their second Final Four. They defeated conference rival Mississippi State in the national championship game to win their first-ever national title.
In the 2018 SEC tournament, the Gamecocks defeated Mississippi State to win the SEC tournament, South Carolina is the only team to win the SEC tournament for four straight years. Their season came to an end when they were defeated by Connecticut in the Elite Eight.
In 2020, South Carolina finished 32–1 (16–0), led by the #1 ranked recruiting class and senior leadership of point guard Tyasha Harris. The Gamecocks defeated 14 ranked teams including their first-ever victory over UConn, and won both the SEC regular season and tournament titles. South Carolina won their final 26 games of the season and spent the final nine weeks as the AP #1 ranked team. Dawn Staley was named national coach of the year, and Aliyah Boston was named national freshman of the year, and SEC defensive player of the year. When the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely on March 12, South Carolina was ranked at the top of the AP and coaches' polls. Due to the unprecedented abrupt ending to the season following the SEC Championship win, Staley said they should be claim the mythical national championship, with the program making a claim through the size and location of the banner highlighting finishing #1 in the polls on December 31, 2020, at the 2020–21 conference season opener. As of the 2022–23 season, that banner size is identical to the two official championship banners, and located between the official championship banners. [3] [4] In 2021, the team reached the Final Four, losing to Stanford by a point.
On April 3, 2022, the Gamecocks won their 2nd national title with a 64–49 win over UConn, finishing the season 35–2 and being ranked #1 in both major polls for the entire season. Aliyah Boston won Player of the Year, and Dawn Staley was named Naismith Award winner as the best coach in the nation for 2022. [5]
On February 18, 2024, South Carolina set a record for winning 43 straight SEC victories.
2024–25 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Name | Years | Seasons | Games | Won | Lost | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pam Backhaus | 1974–1975 1976–1977 | 2 | 56 | 26 | 30 | .464 |
Frankie Porter | 1975–1976 | 1 | 22 | 7 | 15 | .318 |
Pam Parsons | 1977–1981 | 5 | 144 | 101 | 43 | .701 |
Terry Kelly | 1982–1984 | 3 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 |
Nancy Wilson | 1985–1997 | 13 | 380 | 231 | 149 | .608 |
Susan Walvius | 1998–2008 | 11 | 325 | 165 | 160 | .508 |
Dawn Staley | 2008–present | 16 | 546 | 440 | 106 | .805 |
All-Time | 51 | 1555 | 1020 | 535 | .656 |
Name | Position | Seasons at South Carolina | |
---|---|---|---|
Dawn Staley | Head coach | 17th | |
Lisa Boyer | Associate head coach | 17th | |
Jolette Law | Assistant coach | 8th | |
Winston Gandy | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
Khadijah Sessions | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
Mary Wooley | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
Reference: [6] |
Conference tournament winners noted with # Source [7]
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | Coaches' poll | AP poll | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pam Backhaus (Independent)(1974–1975) | |||||||||
1974–75 | Pam Backhaus | 18–12 (.600) | – | AIAW Region II | |||||
Frankie Porter (Independent)(1975–1976) | |||||||||
1975–76 | Frankie Porter | 7–15 | |||||||
Frankie Porter: | 7–15 | .318 | |||||||
Pam Backhaus (Independent)(1976–1977) | |||||||||
1976–77 | Pam Backhaus | 8–18 | – | SCAIAW | |||||
Pam Backhaus: | 26–30 (.464) | – | |||||||
Pam Parsons (Independent)(1977–1982) | |||||||||
1977–78 | Pam Parsons | 24–10 | – | AIAW Region II | |||||
1978–79 | Pam Parsons | 27–10 | – | AIAW Region II NWIT Champions | 15 | ||||
1979–80 | Pam Parsons | 30–6 | – | AIAW Third Place | 4 | ||||
1980–81 | Pam Parsons | 13–17 | – | AIAW Region II | |||||
1981 | Pam Parsons | 7–0 | – | ||||||
Pam Parsons: | 101–43 (.701) | – | |||||||
Terry Kelly (Independent, Metro)(1982–1985) | |||||||||
1982 | Terry Kelly | 16–8 | – | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | |||||
1982–83 | Terry Kelly | 16–12 | – | ||||||
1983–84 | Terry Kelly | 18–12 | 7–3 | ||||||
Terry Kelly: | 50–32 (.610) | 7–3 (.700) | |||||||
Nancy Wilson (Metro, SEC)(1984–1997) | |||||||||
1984–85 | Nancy Wilson | 18–10 | 8–3 | T–1st | |||||
1985–86 | Nancy Wilson | 19–11 | 9–1 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
1986–87 | Nancy Wilson | 18–12 | 8–4 | 3rd | |||||
1987–88 | Nancy Wilson | 23–11 | 10–2 | 1st | NCAA second round | 24 | |||
1988–89 | Nancy Wilson | 23–7 | 10–2 | 1st | NCAA first round | 22 | 17 | ||
1989–90 | Nancy Wilson | 24–9 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 16 | 19 | ||
1990–91 | Nancy Wilson | 22–9 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
1991–92 | Nancy Wilson | 13–15 | 2–9 | 12th (SEC) | |||||
1992–93 | Nancy Wilson | 17–10 | 5–6 | T-6th | |||||
1993–94 | Nancy Wilson | 14–13 | 2–9 | T-10th | |||||
1994–95 | Nancy Wilson | 12–15 | 1–10 | T-10th | |||||
1995–96 | Nancy Wilson | 16–12 | 2–9 | T-11th | |||||
1996–97 | Nancy Wilson | 12–15 | 1–11 | T-11th | |||||
Nancy Wilson: | 231–149 (.608) | 83–69 (.546) | |||||||
Susan Walvius (SEC)(1997–2008) | |||||||||
1997–98 | Susan Walvius | 13–15 | 3–11 | T-11th | |||||
1998–99 | Susan Walvius | 11–16 | 0–14 | 12th | |||||
1999–00 | Susan Walvius | 13–15 | 3–11 | 11th | |||||
2000–01 | Susan Walvius | 11–17 | 6–8 | T-6th | |||||
2001–02 | Susan Walvius | 25–7 | 10–4 | T-2nd | NCAA Elite Eight | 6 | 13 | ||
2002–03 | Susan Walvius | 23–8 | 9–5 | T-5th | NCAA second round | 18 | 16 | ||
2003–04 | Susan Walvius | 10–18 | 1–13 | 12th | |||||
2004–05 | Susan Walvius | 8–21 | 2–12 | 12th | |||||
2005–06 | Susan Walvius | 17–12 | 7–7 | 7th | WNIT Second round | ||||
2006–07 | Susan Walvius | 18–15 | 6–8 | T-7th | WNIT third round | ||||
2007–08 | Susan Walvius | 16–16 | 4–10 | T-9th | WNIT second round | ||||
Susan Walvius: | 165–160 (.508) | 51–103 (.331) | |||||||
Dawn Staley (SEC)(2008–present) | |||||||||
2008–09 | Dawn Staley | 10–18 | 2–12 | 11th | |||||
2009–10 | Dawn Staley | 14–15 | 7–9 | T-7th | |||||
2010–11 | Dawn Staley | 18–15 | 8–8 | T-5th | WNIT second round | ||||
2011–12 | Dawn Staley | 25–10 | 10–6 | T-4th | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 21 | 25 | ||
2012–13 | Dawn Staley | 25–8 | 11–5 | T-4th | NCAA second round | 14 | 17 | ||
2013–14 | Dawn Staley | 29–5 | 14–2 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 8 | 8 | ||
2014–15 | Dawn Staley | 34–3 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | 3 | 4 | ||
2015–16 | Dawn Staley | 33–2 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 3 | 5 | ||
2016–17 | Dawn Staley | 33–4 | 14–2 | 1st | NCAA Champions | 1 | 3 | ||
2017–18 | Dawn Staley | 29–7 | 12–4 | T-2nd | NCAA Elite Eight | 6 | 7 | ||
2018–19 | Dawn Staley | 23–10 | 13–3 | 2nd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 13 | 15 | ||
2019–20 | Dawn Staley | 32–1 | 16–0 | 1st | Canceled due to Covid-19 | 1 | 1 | ||
2020–21 | Dawn Staley | 26–5 | 14–2 | 2nd | NCAA Final Four | 4 | 6 | ||
2021–22 | Dawn Staley | 35–2 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Champions | 1 | 1 | ||
2022–23 | Dawn Staley | 36–1 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | 3 | 1 | ||
2023–24 | Dawn Staley | 38–0 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Champions | 1 | 1 | ||
Dawn Staley: | 440–106 (.806) | 199–55 (.783) | |||||||
Total: | 1020–535 (.656) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | #3 | First round Sweet Sixteen | #6 East Carolina #2 Kentucky | W 79–54 L 69–73 |
1986 | #7 | First round | #10 Middle Tenn | L 77–78 |
1988 | #8 | First round Second round | #9 Alabama #1 Texas | W 77–63 L 58–77 |
1989 | #6 | First round | #11 Tennessee Tech | L 73–77 |
1990 | #5 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen | #12 Bowling Green #4 Northwestern #1 Washington | W 93–50 W 76–67 L 61–73 |
1991 | #7 | First round | #10 Vanderbilt | L 64–73 |
2002 | #3 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #14 Liberty #6 Cincinnati #7 Drake #1 Duke | W 69–61 W 75–56 W 79–65 L 68–77 |
2003 | #5 | First round Second round | #12 UT Chattanooga #4 Penn State | W 68–54 L 67–77 |
2012 | #5 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen | #12 Eastern Michigan #4 Purdue #1 Stanford | W 80–48 W 72–61 L 60–76 |
2013 | #4 | First round Second round | #13 South Dakota State #12 Kansas | W 74–53 L 69–75 |
2014 | #1 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Cal St Northridge #9 Oregon State #4 North Carolina | W 73–58 W 78–69 L 58–65 |
2015 | #1 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #16 Savannah State #8 Syracuse #4 North Carolina #2 Florida State #1 Notre Dame | W 81–48 W 97–68 W 67–65 W 80–74 L 65–66 |
2016 | #1 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Jacksonville #9 Kansas State #4 Syracuse | W 77–41 W 73–47 L 72–80 |
2017 | #1 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 UNC Asheville #8 Arizona State #12 Quinnipiac #3 Florida State #2 Stanford #2 Mississippi State | W 90–40 W 71–68 W 100–58 W 71–64 W 62–53 W 67–55 |
2018 | #2 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #15 North Carolina A&T #10 Virginia #11 Buffalo #1 Connecticut | W 63–52 W 66–56 W 79–63 L 65–94 |
2019 | #4 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen | #13 Belmont #5 Florida State #1 Baylor | W 74–52 W 72–64 L 68–93 |
2021 | #1 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #16 Mercer #8 Oregon State #5 Georgia Tech #6 Texas #1 Stanford | W 79–53 W 59–42 W 76–65 W 62–34 L 65–66 |
2022 | #1 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Howard #8 Miami #5 North Carolina #10 Creighton #1 Louisville #2 Connecticut | W 79–21 W 49–33 W 69–61 W 80–50 W 72–59 W 64–49 |
2023 | #1 | First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #16 Norfolk State #8 South Florida #4 UCLA #2 Maryland #2 Iowa | W 72–40 W 76–45 W 59–43 W 86–75 L 73–77 |
2024 | #1 | First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Presbyterian #8 North Carolina #4 Indiana #3 Oregon State #3 NC State #1 Iowa | W 91–39 W 88–41 W 79–75 W 70–58 W 78–59 W 87–75 |
The following lists where the Gamecocks have been seeded in the NCAA tournament.
Years → | '82 | '86 | '88 | '89 | '90 | '91 | '02 | '03 | '12 | '13 | '14 | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seeds → | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Year | Coach | Opponent | Score | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Dawn Staley | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 67–55 | 33–4 |
2022 | Dawn Staley | UConn Huskies | 64–49 | 35–2 |
2024 | Dawn Staley | Iowa Hawkeyes | 87–75 | 38–0 |
National Championships | 3 |
Year | Overall Record | Conference Record | Coach | Conference |
---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | 18–11 | 9–1 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
1988 | 23–11 | 10–2 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
1989 | 23–7 | 10–2 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
1990 | 24–9 | 13–1 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
1991 | 22–9 | 12–2 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
2014 | 29–5 | 14–2 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
2015 | 34–3 | 15–1 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
2016 | 33–2 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
2017 | 33–4 | 14–2 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
2020 | 32–1 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
2022 | 35–2 | 15–1 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
2023 | 36–1 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
2024 | 38–0 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
South Carolina has played in the Southeastern Conference since the 1997–98 season. The Gamecocks have won 8 out of the last 10 tournament titles, all under Head Coach, Dawn Staley.
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | #1 | Semifinals Championship | (4) Virginia Tech (3) Cincinnati | W 67–54 W 67–48 |
1988 | #1 | Semifinals Championship | (4) Southern Mississippi (3) Memphis | W 86–77 W 81–70 |
1989 | #1 | Semifinals Championship | (5) Cincinnati (2) Southern Mississippi | W 63–60 W 92–65 |
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | #1 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (9) Arkansas (4) LSU (2) Tennessee | W 58–36 W 74–54 W 62–46 |
2016 | #1 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (9) Auburn (5) Kentucky (2) Mississippi State | W 57–48 W 93–63 W 66–52 |
2017 | #1 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (8) Georgia (4) Kentucky (2) Mississippi State | W 72–48 W 89–77 W 59–49 |
2018 | #2 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (7) Tennessee (3) Georgia (1) Mississippi State | W 73–62 W 71–49 W 62–51 |
2020 | #1 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (9) Georgia (5) Arkansas (2) Mississippi State | W 89–56 W 90–64 W 76–62 |
2021 | #2 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (7) Alabama (3) Tennessee (4) Georgia | W 75–63 W 67–52 W 67–62 |
2023 | #1 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (8) Arkansas (4) Ole Miss (3) Tennessee | W 93–66 W 80–51 W 74–58 |
2024 | #1 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | (9) Texas A&M (5)Tennessee (2) LSU | W 79–68 W 74–73 W 79–72 |
The Gamecocks made two appearances in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament, with a combined record of 6–3.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1973 | First round Consolation First round Consolation Second round Consolation third round | East Stroudsburg State Lehman UC Riverside Kansas State | L, 59–66 W, 58–53 W, 49–36 L, 57–69 |
1980 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals Third-place game | USC Northwestern Stephen F. Austin Tennessee Louisiana Tech | W, 81–60 W, 64–61 W, 63–56 L, 72–75 W, 77–69 |
Over the years, the Gamecocks have played in three different venues. At first games were played at the Blatt P.E. Center. Later games moved to the Carolina Coliseum, which saw the first sell out for a women's basketball game on January 17, 2002. That day, 12,168 fans turned out to see the South Carolina Gamecocks take on the Tennessee Lady Vols.
On November 22, 2002, the Gamecocks opened the newly constructed Colonial Life Arena (then known as Carolina Center; the arena's deal with Unum was signed a year later) with a $1 admission night, leading to a crowd 17,712 saw the Gamecocks defeat the arch-rival Clemson Lady Tigers. [8] The first sell out with 18,000 in attendance occurred on February 8, 2016, against the University of Connecticut Huskies in a match up of the two top ranked teams in the country.
Crowds of over 16,000 at Colonial Life Arena for Women's Basketball games:
Date | Attendance | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
02–18–2024 | 18,478 | Georgia | W 70–56 |
02–11–2024 | 18,167 | UConn | W 83–65 |
03–03–2024 | 18,000 | Tennessee | W 76–68 |
02–04–2024 | 18,000 | Ole Miss | W 85–56 |
01–28–2024 | 18,000 | Vanderbilt | W 91–74 |
02–26–2023 | 18,000 | Georgia | W 73–63 |
02–12–2023 | 18,000 | LSU | W 88–64 |
02–20–2022 | 18,000 | Tennessee | W 67–53 |
03–01–2020 | 18,000 | Texas A&M | W 60–52 |
02–10–2020 | 18,000 | UConn | W 70–52 |
03–03–2019 | 18,000 | Mississippi State | L 68–64 |
02–01–2018 | 18,000 | UConn | L 58–83 |
02–26–2017 | 18,000 | Kentucky | W 95–87 |
02–08–2016 | 18,000 | UConn | L 66–54 |
11–22–2002 | 17,712 | Clemson | W 72–58 |
01–11–2015 | 17,156 | Kentucky | W 68–60 |
11–16–2023 | 16,820 | Clemson | W 109–40 |
11–13–2015 | 16,815 | Ohio State | W 88–80 |
01–02–2015 | 16,465 | Auburn | W 77–58 |
12–06–2015 | 16,429 | Duke | W 66–55 |
02–28–2016 | 16,240 | LSU | W 75–39 |
02–18–2016 | 16,186 | Georgia | W 61–51 |
12–06–2023 | 16,181 | Morgan State | W 104–38 |
11–12–2023 | 16,007 | Maryland | W 114–76 |
South Carolina has led the nation in attendance every season since 2014–15, with the exception of 2020 which was limited due to COVID. The Gamecocks have averaged over 10,000 fans in 92 consecutive regular season home games.
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* The 2019 NCAA Tournament games were played in Halton Arena, Charlotte, NC
Also drafted:
South Carolina has retired four jersey numbers. [9]
No. | Player | Career |
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13 | Martha Parker | 1985–1989 |
14 | Shannon Johnson | 1992–1996 |
25 | Tiffany Mitchell | 2012–2016 |
53 | Sheila Foster | 1978–1982 |
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* Denotes Co-Player / Co-Coach
Dawn Michelle Staley is an American basketball Hall of Fame player and coach who is currently the head coach for the reigning champion South Carolina Gamecocks women's team. Staley won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head coach of another U.S. gold-medal winning team. Staley was elected to carry the United States flag at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics. After playing point guard for the University of Virginia under Debbie Ryan, and winning the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, she played professionally in the American Basketball League and WNBA. In 2011, fans named Staley one of the top 15 players in WNBA history. Staley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.
The 2009–10 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks were coached by Dawn Staley, in her second year, and played their home games at Colonial Life Arena. They competed as members of the Southeastern Conference.
The 2014–15 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by seventh year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and were members of the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks repeated as Southeastern Conference regular season Champions; however, it was shared with Tennessee this year. The 2014–15 Gamecocks won their first SEC Tournament Championship by beating Tennessee 62–46. USC received a #1 seed in the 2015 Women's NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the final four where they lost 66–65 to Notre Dame, as Tiffany Mitchell's desperation three in the final seconds came up short.
The 2015–16 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by eighth year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and were members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 33–2, 16–0 in SEC play to win the SEC regular season and the tournament championship to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA women's tournament. They defeated Jacksonville and Kansas State in the first and second rounds before getting upset by Syracuse in the sweet sixteen.
A'ja Riyadh Wilson is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Wilson played for the South Carolina Gamecocks in college, and helped lead the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 2017, and won the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player award. In 2018, she won a record third straight SEC Player of the Year award, leading South Carolina to a record fourth straight SEC Tournament Championship, becoming the all-time leading scorer in South Carolina women's basketball history, and was a consensus first-team All-American for the third consecutive season. Wilson swept all National Player of the Year awards as the best player in Women's College basketball for 2018. In the 2018 WNBA draft, she was drafted first overall by the Aces.
The 2016–17 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by ninth-year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and were members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 33–4, 11–2 in SEC play to win the SEC regular season and tournament championship to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA women's tournament. They defeated UNC Ashville and Arizona State in the first and second rounds, Quinnipiac in the sweet sixteen and Florida State in the elite eight to advance to their second final four in school history. In the national semifinal in Dallas they defeated Stanford and beat SEC rival Mississippi State in the final to win their first NCAA National Championship. A'ja Wilson was named the Most Outstanding Player in the National Championship Game.
The 2017–18 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by tenth year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and were members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 29–7, 12–4 in SEC play to finish in a tie for second place. They defeated Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi State to win the SEC women's tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA women's tournament. They defeated North Carolina A&T and Virginia in the first and second rounds, Buffalo in the sweet sixteen before losing to Connecticut in the elite eight.
The 2018–19 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by eleventh year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and were members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 23–10, 13–3 in SEC play to finish in second place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the SEC women's tournament to Arkansas. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA women's tournament where they defeated Belmont and Florida State in the first and second rounds before losing to Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen.
The 2019–20 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by twelfth-year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and competed as members of the Southeastern Conference.
Aliyah Boston is an American professional basketball power forward and center for the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was named 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year in a unanimous vote and the AP Rookie of the Year. She played college basketball at the University of South Carolina.
The 2020–21 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by thirteenth-year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at Colonial Life Arena and competed as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They finished the season 26–5, won the SEC tournament, and won a bid to the NCAA tournament where they advanced to the Final Four and lost to Stanford.
The 2020–21 Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The team's head coach is Gary Blair, in his eighteenth season at Texas A&M. The team plays their home games at the Reed Arena in College Station, Texas, and in its ninth season as a member of the Southeastern Conference.
The 2021–22 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks were led by 14th-year head coach Dawn Staley and played their home games at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC. They competed as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They finished the season 35–2, 15–1 in SEC play to win the regular season championship. They defeated Arkansas and Ole Miss to advance to the championship of the SEC Tournament where they lost to Kentucky. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Greensboro region. They defeated Howard, Miami, North Carolina, Creighton and Louisville to advance to the championship game. There they defeated UConn for the team's second-ever national title.
The 2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game was the final game of the 2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. It determined the national champion for the 2021–22 season and was contested by the UConn Huskies and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The game was played on April 3, 2022, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the game, the Gamecocks jumped out to an 18-point lead early in the second quarter and held off UConn scoring runs to win the national championship, 64–49. South Carolina's Aliyah Boston was voted the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP). This was UConn's first loss in the women's national championship game.
The 2022–23 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by 15th-year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at Colonial Life Arena and competed as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The Freshies were the 2019 recruiting class of the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball program. They were the number one recruiting class of the 2019–20 NCAA Division I season and played together until 2023. Developed under head coach Dawn Staley, they helped South Carolina win the 2022 national championship and reach the Final Four in all three NCAA tournaments they competed in. The class also won four Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season titles and three SEC tournament titles, finishing with a 129–9 record over four years.
The 2023–24 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by sixteenth-year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at Colonial Life Arena and competed as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Staley won her 600th game as head coach on February 22, 2024, in 786 games . The season saw the Gamecocks not only capture their third national title in the history of the school's women's basketball program, but also become the 10th Division I women's basketball team to finish the season undefeated.
The 2024 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game was the final game of the 2024 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. It determined the champion of the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season and was contested by the Iowa Hawkeyes from the Big Ten Conference and the South Carolina Gamecocks from the Southeastern Conference. The game was played on April 7, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. South Carolina defeated Iowa 87–75 to capture the third national championship in program history. Iowa finished as runner-up for the second season in a row.
The 1991 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game was the final game of the 1991 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. It determined the champion of the 1990–91 NCAA Division I women's basketball season and was contested by the Virginia Cavaliers and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. The game was played on March 31, 1991, at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. After leading 27–26 at halftime, No. 4 Tennessee needed an overtime period to defeat No. 2 Tennessee 70–67 to capture the NCAA national championship, and bring home the third NCAA championship in program history. Despite the runner-up finish, Virginia's Dawn Staley was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player (MOP). Staley is the only women's player to be named MOP while not playing for the championship team.