South Carolina women's basketball lost 5 starters from Final Four team — and got even better

COLUMBIA — Maryland coach Brenda Frese didn't mince words in her postgame news conference Sunday after South Carolina women's basketball routed the No. 11 Terrapins 114-76 at Colonial Life Arena.

"I actually think they're better than last year," she said. "Seeing the way they're sharing the basketball, scoring the basketball, their unselfishness, getting up and down the floor defensively and offensively. Just watching these first two games they've had, they're really, really impressive."

It's hard to argue with that. The No. 4 Gamecocks (2-0) set program records against Maryland (1-1) for points scored and margin of victory against a ranked opponent, and they have scored at least 100 points in every game, including their exhibition against Rutgers.

With an entirely new starting lineup and just one senior on the roster, South Carolina's early dominance is as surprising to coach Dawn Staley as it is to anyone else. She said no one on the staff expected to see this kind of production during preseason.

"When you're so close to the situation, you know what our deficiencies are. We know as coaches, but this team is really good," she said. "I really didn't see this coming. I didn't see Notre Dame. I really didn't see this . . . I'm proud of where we are, because we've come a long way. If you could have seen June, July, August, you would be sitting where I'm sitting where, like, it was unimaginable for us to even think about what we were able to do in the first two games."

The obvious improvement compared to last season's one-loss Final Four team is its shooting. Despite starting the Maryland game 1-for-9 from 3-point range, the team finished 12 of 24, led by Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao, who hit 4 of 8. Five players had at least two 3-pointers, and no one with more than one attempt shot less than 50%.

This team also has depth — and is willing to use it. Seven players scored in double digits, and the team combined for 30 assists. Raven Johnson and Paopao logged eight apiece, a career high for Johnson, and Paopao's second-best mark, including her three years at Oregon.

Last season, South Carolina averaged just 16.6 assists per game.

"Our whole team, we're all skilled. We all work together. We all put that extra work in every day," forward Chloe Kitts said. "We can always get a bucket, and not just get a bucket but we can all play together. We all make the extra pass, and we're not worried about ourselves. We're worried about other people, all of us are."

Even when Maryland took away Kamilla Cardoso — the star center had just four points and four rebounds at halftime — South Carolina found other options in sophomores Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins. Both finished with double-doubles, and Watkins had a career-high five blocks.

The Gamecocks' unselfishness is embodied in what Staley calls "really healthy competition" between Watkins and Kitts, who were battling for a starting spot up until the season opener.

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"Do I think part of Ashlyn was just competitively upset that we chose to start Chloe? Yes, and I think it's elevated her," Staley said. "And I think Chloe feels Ashlyn coming, so it's great. It's bringing out the best in both of them."

Kitts won't directly compare this team to the 2022-23 squad, but she also didn't challenge Frese's assessment of where the Gamecocks stand.

"We're a completely different team. We're fast, we push in transition, we shoot it. We do everything," Kitts said. "I guess we'll see where it goes from here, but I know we're good. We just have to continue what we're doing and trust the coaches."

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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball could be better than Final Four team