Established excellence brings high expectations.
That’s where No. 1 South Carolina finds themselves as the 2024-25 NCAAW season begins. The defending national champs’ season tips off on Monday evening in Las Vegas against Michigan in the Hall of Fame Series (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/TruTV). Anything less than a 40th-straight win in dominating fashion will be perceived as a disappointment for head coach Dawn Staley’s squad.
The Gamecocks return all but one player—Kamilla Cardoso, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft—from last season’s undefeated, championship-winning team. (Currently, junior forward Ashlyn Watkins remains away from the team.) They also added another highly-regarded freshman class, headlined by forward Joyce Edwards. The No. 3-ranked recruit and Gatorade National Player of the Year, the 6-foot-3 Edwards profiles as game-changing force. Her combination of strength and skill should make her hard for opponents to handle in the post, as she can score with craft or power around the basket, in addition to controlling the glass as a rebounder. On top of that, she possesses some passing chops and an ability to handle in transition, equipping her with a multi-dimensional skillet rare for a player of her size. In the Gamecocks’ first exhibition game, she…
