Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks are having one of the best seasons so far. While it’s still early into the 2025-26 NCAA season, the No. 2-ranked Gamecocks’ women haven’t lost a single match they have played so far. Even Top-10 opponents haven’t slowed them down. But while the wins keep coming, the team has quietly been without one of its key pieces for the past three matchups.

Maddy McDaniel, the team’s sophomore guard, was suspended indefinitely before the Gamecocks played their third game of the season, against Clemson, and Staley refused to reveal the exact reason behind the Maryland native’s suspension. However, South Carolina officially reinstated sophomore guard Maddy McDaniel on Nov. 20, announcing her return to team activities after a three-game suspension. The program revealed the update through social media, posting a practice photo of McDaniel and a “10/10” caption to signal that all 10 healthy players were back in the rotation.

Before the suspension, McDaniel was already dealing with a leg injury sustained during the Nov. 3 season opener against Grand Canyon, a “knee-to-knee” collision that limited her to eight minutes in that game. Without her, the Gamecocks played a total of four games and won all four of them.

Last season, as a former top 20 national recruit from Maryland, McDaniel was averaging 3.1 points and 1.7 assists per game in just 10 minutes per game. Her scoring ability and playmaking potential will give the team much-needed relief after they battled through fatigue and limited depth. And it couldn’t have been at a better time.

The No. 2-ranked team will play their next game against the Queens University Royals on Sunday, and Maddy McDaniel can use this game as an opportunity to find her rhythm back with the team before they head on to take on the Duke Blue Devils, No. 4-ranked Texas Longhorns, No. 8-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, and other high-level opponents later in the season.

Dawn Staley still sees defensive gaps in South Carolina as the season moves forward

In the Gamecocks’ most recent game against the Winthrop Eagles, the team not just secured another win they dominated the game. Led by Ta’Niya Latson, who scored 24 points, secured 5 rebounds, and made 4 assists, the team finished the game with a 50-point lead. However, while they had a great offensive night, Staley isn’t happy with their performance as she still sees defensive gaps in the Gamecocks’ playing style.

Opening about the issue in a post-game interview, she said, “I think we had moments where we weren’t connected, and I think that’s attributed to Winthrop and how they moved us around. They got ball reversals when they wanted. They made us play in the shot clock for a long time. And, sometimes, we got a little disconnected, stuff we just continue to have to work on.”

With tougher opponents looming over their heads, these gaps can be very well exploited by their opponents. And that’s where McDaniel’s return could make a real difference. Her defensive activity, ability to pressure the ball, and overall energy add depth to South Carolina’s perimeter rotation, something the team will need as they will look to clean up the very issues Staley highlighted.

Where do you think the Gamecocks need the most improvement as they move deeper into the season? Tell us in the comments!