Dawn Staley hasn’t shied away from acknowledging the slate is wiped clean for South Carolina entering the 2023-24 campaign. The Gamecocks said goodbye to six major contributors from last year’s squad, five of whom were drafted into the WNBA, including No. 1 pick and 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston.
But Staley and her team are putting it out there: Between the talent they return and who they’ve brought in this offseason, don’t believe they’re starting over in Columbia, South Carolina.
“It’s not a rebuild,” Staley said on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” last week. “I think for who we had sitting on the bench behind some of those WNBA players were really talented individuals who really just had to wait their turn. Now is their turn, now is time for them to step in…
“They’ll take some hits, but they’re fighters.”
Added returner Kamilla Cardoso: “Expect the unexpected.”
The first peek at this new-look South Carolina team comes Monday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) in one…
