Where the Gamecocks rank in ESPN’s ‘way too early’ WBB Top 25 poll for next season
The South Carolina women’s basketball team captured its third national championship Sunday, and they’re the favorites to do it again next year.
ESPN has the Gamecocks at No. 1 in its Way Too Early Top 25 released shortly after their 87-75 win over Iowa on Sunday. USC went 38-0, completing its first unbeaten season in program history.
The program will return most of its championship squad for the 2024-25 season. Kamilla Cardoso is the only one who announced she won’t be returning and instead enter the WNBA Draft. Cardoso is expected to be a top-five pick.
The trio of Sania Feagin, Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts will look to make up for the loss of Cardoso. Raven Johnson and Bree Hall will be back, along with Te-Hina Paopao.
MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson will look to back up strong freshman seasons. Fulwiley was the MVP of the SEC Tournament and Johnson had a team-high 19 points in the championship game and was a key factor during the NCAA Tournament.
“A third consecutive undefeated regular season might be too much to ask, but that doesn’t mean South Carolina won’t be the favorite,” ESPN’s Charlie Creme wrote. “... The deep backcourt of Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, Te-Hina Paopao, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson looks even better heading into the 2024-25 season. Sania Feagin, Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts should be ready to take over the frontcourt and will welcome 6-foot-2 Joyce Edwards, the No. 2-rated recruit in the country, according to HoopGurlz.”
Edwards, the Camden High standout and Gatorade National Player of the Year, is the top prospect in the recruiting class along with Madisen McDaniel, who’s recovering from an injury but should be healthy by summer workouts. Adhel Tac, also part of the recruiting class, enrolled in January but wasn’t able to play because of injury.
The rest of the top 10 behind the Gamecocks are Texas, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Southern Cal, UCLA, LSU, North Carolina State, Stanford and Iowa State.
Iowa, this year’s runner-up, was unranked and is expected to take a step back with the graduation of Caitlin Clark.
