When the Gamecocks fell to UConn in the national championship game, 82–59, last season, Dawn Staley stayed confident about a comeback. That belief grew stronger as Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards provided her with a solid foundation to build upon. But just as things started to click, Kitts tore her ACL. A blow that undoubtedly shook the team’s chemistry. But they adjusted quickly. With new faces and shifting roles, they powered through two exhibition wins. But the big question lingers: Are they ready for what’s coming next?

Maybe. As Dawn Staley put it best, “It’s fun getting to know the different teams that represent each season. And we don’t have an identity yet, but it’s fun having them figure that out and us seeing which direction they’ll go in,” she told Fox Sports’ Jared Parker after a recent practice session. “But I know one thing that’s consistent with all of them. They work hard. And they’re pretty good young people. They’re like super great human beings.”

It’s not hard to see why she said that. While South Carolina played with effort and energy, the gaps were visible. They won, yes, but they also gave up 82 points to North Carolina, a team missing its starting point guard. Their repeated rotation breakdowns led to fouls on layups, which got the Gamecocks’ bigs into trouble. 

That’s precisely why Staley said, “We’ve got to be better connected than we are.” Poor early defense was a crucial reason three players finished the game with four fouls. But the real challenge lies deeper, within South Carolina’s core. Without Kitts, the responsibility has shifted to Joyce Edwards, who looks sharper than she did last season. Still, she can’t carry the load alone. It’s going to take all three of Madina Okot, Maryam Dauda, and Adhel Tac stepping up.

The problem? The trio hasn’t quite found consistency yet. Okot starred against Anderson, recording a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. But against North Carolina, she tried to do too much and landed in foul trouble. Dauda battled hard on the boards but also picked up early fouls.

“Dauda and Adhel are actually doing things that Joyce and Madina aren’t doing. You need role players to play that way; distinctively different from how our starters are playing. They’re going to allow us to go deep and have the depth that we had in previous years,” Staley said in her postgame presser.

South Carolina has also struggled from deep, shooting just 22.2% from three over its last two games. The team ran only a handful of sets against Anderson. Though Tessa Johnson found her shot against North Carolina, going 3-for-7 from deep, a 22% overall mark simply isn’t good enough, especially for a program ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll.

A rough start, but a strong preseason finish for Gamecocks?

For Dawn Staley, this preseason has been far from smooth. While other programs spent the summer building chemistry, Staley and the Gamecocks never truly had that chance, especially with Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell away on international duty. Without her full roster in Columbia, the HC had to delay implementing the team’s system with full effect, a crucial part of preparing for another championship-caliber run.

And just when things started to take shape, they lost Chloe Kitts, one of their most reliable communicators. “It’s hard when we lose someone like Chloe, who really understands what we want. She can probably play with any of our post players and talk them through some things,” Staley said.

That loss left her with limited time, a shortened playbook, and new rotations constantly being tested. That’s why even in exhibition games, we saw just glimpses of the real Gamecocks. Staley used those matchups to experiment and figure out who could handle what, who could step up when it mattered.

While the wins came, the team still doesn’t have an identity yet. But you can’t count them out. If there’s one thing Staley has mastered over her career, it’s turning early-season adversity into late-season dominance.

A positive is that Ayla McDowell is returning to full fitness soon, while Raven Johnson did not sustain a major injury after an awkward fall. “Raven’s tough. Raven can run around. She’s gonna play. She’s gonna practice, she’s gonna play,” the Gamecocks head coach said recently.

They’ll be gearing up to play their first game of the 2025-26 college basketball season against the Grand Canyon Lopes on November 3.