The South Carolina Gamecocks are picking up right where they left off under head coach Dawn Staley. Even before the 2025-26 season officially begins, they’ve already gone 2-for-2 in exhibition play, defeating No. 11 North Carolina 91-82 at State Farm Arena. Still, the win came with concern after freshman Ayla McDowell sat out and guard Raven Johnson took a hard fall on a second-quarter layup attempt.

Following the victory, Staley addressed the media and gave a much-needed update on her players’ status. During the post-game interview, when asked about McDowell’s absence, Staley revealed that the player hadn’t been well lately but is recovering.

“Yeah, she’s been sick. She’s been sick last, probably, couple of days, and she probably could have played, but she didn’t really feel that well in shootaround. She could’ve braved through it, but I decided just to allow her to get better so she can be ready for the regular season,” Staley said with a calm expression, hinting at it as a precautionary measure before the season starts.

McDowell averaged 19.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game as a junior in high school, whereas her numbers improved in her senior year. She scored 25.1 points per game in her 34-game appearance before committing to South Carolina as a five-star recruit and one of the most anticipated newcomers in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-2 wing, ranked No. 22 nationally by ESPN, chose to play under Staley over LSU, Mississippi State, and Georgia Tech.

As for Raven Johnson, who gave fans a scare after falling awkwardly in the second quarter of the recent game, the Gamecocks’ head coach reassured everyone that her guard was fine.

“Yeah. I mean, we’ll see what she feels like tomorrow, it’s probably gonna hurt a little bit, probably a little bit sore tomorrow. But Raven’s tough. Raven can run around. She’s gonna play. She’s gonna practice, she’s gonna play.” When she just had two points and three assists, Johnson took a hard hit after being fouled on a layup just a few minutes before halftime and had to go to the locker room, grabbing her back.

These key updates on McDowell and Johnson will bring relief to fans, who are eager to see the full-strength squad in action once the regular season tips off. But Dawn Staley and her team have shown the world that even with those minor setbacks, they aren’t planning to lose.

Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks end preseason on a confident note

Even with their two players sidelined from the game, the Gamecocks showed no sign of weakness, and the credit for that goes to Tessa Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson, who each scored 19 points. South Carolina controlled the pace from start to finish. The team shot over 52% from the field, with five players finishing in double figures, but the regular season is a completely different ballgame than the exhibition matchups.

The South Carolina Gamecocks enter the 2025-26 season ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll with 740 points, trailing only UConn’s 771. They’re coming off a 35-4 campaign, including a 15-1 mark in SEC play. The Gamecocks added key transfers like Ta’Niya Latson, last season’s national scoring leader, and Madina Okot. With strong depth and experience, they remain a serious Final Four contender.

Now that the exhibition games are over for the Gamecocks, they will be gearing up to play their first game of the 2025-26 NCAA season against the Grand Canyon Lopes on Nov.3. But the games that the fans will be excited to watch come later in the month, when South Carolina faces USC on Nov. 15 and Duke on Nov. 26.

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If their exhibition dominance is any indication, South Carolina could once again be the team to beat. With the season right around the corner, who will you be rooting for? Tell us in the comments!