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NCAAW SEC: South Carolina remains undefeated as Arkansas, UGA impress

NCAAW SEC: South Carolina remains undefeated as Arkansas, UGA impress

It’s been two weeks since we checked in with the SEC. Let’s take a look at two teams that are cultivating new identities: the Arkansas Razorbacks (9-0) and Georgia Lady Bulldogs (8-1). But first, it’s worth considering what we’ve learned about the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (7-0) since our last update.


Is South Carolina vulnerable or inevitable?

On Tuesday night, the Gamecocks earned their 17th-straight win over a ranked opponent, defeating the No. 15 UCLA Bruins 73-64.

However, en route to an eventual nine-point victory, South Carolina fell into a double-digit deficit of 10 points. Similarly, South Carolina trailed No. 2 Stanford by 12 points before a 76-71 overtime win in Palo Alto.

Is this tendency a cause for concern, waiting to burn the Gamecocks sooner than later? Or, should it, in fact, inspire further confidence?

On the sidelines, head coach Dawn Staley frequently has expressed her distress at her team’s performance.

But South Carolina’s uneven play through the first three(ish) quarters in contests against high-caliber opponents can be explained by Staley’s expanded rotations. In the first halves against Stanford and UCLA, Staley found a few minutes for her rawer youngsters, giving court time to sophomore Sania Feagin, redshirt freshman Raven Johnson and freshman Ashlyn Watkins, even if they might not be ready for such competition. Yet, it’s likely more valuable for Watkins, for example, to get three minutes in the intense environment of Maples Pavillon than it is for her to play 22 minutes in the comfier confines of Colonial Life Arena against an overmatched team like Hampton. If an injury scare or untimely foul trouble strikes in March, South Carolina’s youthful charges should be more ready to rise to the moment in the bright lights of the postseason.

Down the stretch against Stanford and UCLA, Staley rode her trustworthy senior core, deploying some combination of Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal, Victaria Saxton and Laeticia Amihere. From there, Staley has pushed the right buttons, relying on an energy boost from Bree Hall against Stanford. Against UCLA, it was some zone-busting pull-up shooting from Kierra Fletcher and the paint presence of Kamilla Cardoso.

Then, right on cue, the defense dialed up while the ball found Boston on offense, allowing the Gamecocks to twice erase not-insignificant deficits and remain undefeated. In the end, Staley’s rotational strategy not only makes sense but also might…

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