2017–18 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team
The 2017–18 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by tenth year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and were members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 29–7, 12–4 in SEC play to finish in a tie for second place. They defeated Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi State to win the SEC Women's Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Tournament. They defeated North Carolina A&T and Virginia in the first and second rounds, Buffalo in the sweet sixteen before losing to Connecticut in the elite eight.
2017–18 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball | |
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SEC Tournament champions | |
NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 6 |
AP | No. 7 |
2017–18 record | 29–7 (12–4 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Assistant coaches |
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Home arena | Colonial Life Arena |
2017–18 SEC women's basketball standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Mississippi State | 16 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 37 | – | 2 | .949 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7 South Carolina † | 12 | – | 4 | .750 | 29 | – | 7 | .806 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 Georgia | 12 | – | 4 | .750 | 26 | – | 7 | .788 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 12 Tennessee | 11 | – | 5 | .688 | 25 | – | 8 | .758 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Missouri | 11 | – | 5 | .688 | 24 | – | 8 | .750 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 14 Texas A&M | 11 | – | 5 | .688 | 26 | – | 10 | .722 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 24 LSU | 11 | – | 5 | .688 | 19 | – | 10 | .655 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alabama | 7 | – | 9 | .438 | 20 | – | 14 | .588 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kentucky | 6 | – | 10 | .375 | 15 | – | 17 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 5 | – | 11 | .313 | 14 | – | 15 | .483 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas | 3 | – | 13 | .188 | 13 | – | 18 | .419 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida | 3 | – | 13 | .188 | 11 | – | 19 | .367 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 3 | – | 13 | .188 | 7 | – | 24 | .226 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ole Miss | 1 | – | 15 | .063 | 12 | – | 19 | .387 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 2018 SEC Tournament winner As of April 1, 2018; Rankings from AP Poll |
Previous Season
South Carolina finished the season 33-4 (14-2), winning the SEC Regular season, SEC Tournament Championship, and the NCAA National Championship. Heading into the NCAA tournament South Carolina was the #1 seed in the Stockton regional, where they defeated UNC Asheville, Arizona State, Quinnipiac, and Florida State, to win the Stockton region and get to the Final Four. In the Final Four, South Carolina defeated Stanford 62–53 to advance to the Championship game. On April 2, 2017, South Carolina defeated Mississippi State to win their first National Championship. A'ja Wilson won the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player award.
Offseason
Departures
Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Notes |
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Alaina Coates | 41 | C | 6'4" | Senior | Irmo, SC | Graduated/Declared to 2017 WNBA draft |
Allisha Gray | 10 | G | 6'0" | RS Junior | Sandersville, GA | Declared to 2017 WNBA draft |
Kaela Davis | 3 | G | 6'2" | RS Junior | Suwanee, GA | Declared to 2017 WNBA draft |
Araion Bradshaw | 12 | G | 5'6" | Freshman | Hyde Park, MA | Transferred to Dayton |
Incoming transfers
Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
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Te'a Cooper | 2 | G | 5'8" | Sophomore | Powder Springs, GA | Transferred from Tennessee. Will sit out a year due to NCAA rules. |
Lindsey Spann | 11 | G | 5'6" | RS Senior | Laurel, MD | Transferred from Penn State. Eligible to play immediately since Spann graduated from Penn State University. |
Recruits
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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Elisia Grissett W |
Durham, NC | Hillside | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | N/A | ||
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 | ||||||
Bianca Jackson W |
Montgomery, AL | Brewbaker Tech Magnet | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | N/A | ||
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 | ||||||
LaDazhia Williams G |
Bradenton, FL | Lakewood Ranch | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | N/A | ||
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
2017–18 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state | ||||||
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Exhibition | |||||||||||
11/03/2017* 7:00 pm |
No. 4 | Coker | W 116–56 | Colonial Life Arena Columbia, SC | |||||||
Regular season | |||||||||||
11/10/2017* 6:30 pm |
No. 4 | Alabama State | W 99–31 | 1–0 |
Colonial Life Arena (13,723) Columbia, SC | ||||||
11/13/2017* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 4 | at No. 15 Maryland | W 94–86 | 2–0 |
Xfinity Center (8,677) College Park, MD | ||||||
11/16/2017* 7:00 pm |
No. 4 | at Clemson Rivalry |
W 66–36 | 3–0 |
Littlejohn Coliseum (1,589) Clemson, SC | ||||||
11/19/2017* 3:00 pm |
No. 4 | Wofford | W 94–60 | 4–0 |
Colonial Life Arena (12,471) Columbia, SC | ||||||
11/24/2017* 1:30 pm |
No. 3 | vs. Rutgers Gulf Coast Showcase Quarterfinals |
W 78–68 | 5–0 |
Germain Arena Estero, FL | ||||||
11/25/2017* 1:30 pm |
No. 3 | vs. St. John's Gulf Coast Showcase semifinals |
W 76–58 | 6–0 |
Germain Arena Estero, FL | ||||||
11/26/2017* 1:30 pm |
No. 3 | vs. No. 6 Notre Dame Gulf Coast Showcase championship |
L 85–92 | 6–1 |
Germain Arena Estero, FL | ||||||
11/30/2017* 7:00 pm |
No. 5 | Western Carolina | W 101–43 | 7–1 |
Colonial Life Arena (12,020) Columbia, SC | ||||||
12/03/2017* 12:00 pm, SECN |
No. 5 | No. 14 Duke | W 72–52 | 8–1 |
Colonial Life Arena (13,054) Columbia, SC | ||||||
12/05/2017* 7:00 pm |
No. 5 | College of Charleston | W 69–43 | 9–1 |
Colonial Life Arena (11,732) Columbia, SC | ||||||
12/17/2017* 3:00 pm |
No. 4 | Savannah State | W 99–38 | 10–1 |
Colonial Life Arena (13,345) Columbia, SC | ||||||
12/21/2017* 7:00 pm, ESPN3 |
No. 4 | at Temple | W 87–60 | 11–1 |
Liacouras Center (3,185) Philadelphia, PA | ||||||
12/31/2017 2:00 pm, SECN |
No. 4 | No. 22 Texas A&M | W 61–59 | 12–1 (1–0) |
Colonial Life Arena (13,431) Columbia, SC | ||||||
01/04/2018 7:00 pm |
No. 4 | at Ole Miss | W 88–62 | 13–1 (2–0) |
The Pavilion at Ole Miss (1,018) Oxford, MS | ||||||
01/07/2018 2:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 4 | at No. 16 Missouri | L 74–83 | 13–2 (2–1) |
Mizzou Arena (4,652) Columbia, MO | ||||||
01/11/2018 7:00 pm |
No. 9 | Auburn | W 71–63 | 14–2 (3–1) |
Colonial Life Arena (12,011) Columbia, SC | ||||||
01/14/2018 1:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 9 | No. 6 Tennessee | L 70–86 | 14–3 (3–2) |
Colonial Life Arena (14,763) Columbia, SC | ||||||
01/18/2018 8:00 pm |
No. 10 | at Vanderbilt | W 95–82 | 15–3 (4–2) |
Memorial Gymnasium (2,231) Nashville, TN | ||||||
01/21/2018 Noon, ESPNU |
No. 10 | at Kentucky | W 81–64 | 16–3 (5–2) |
Rupp Arena (6,521) Lexington, KY | ||||||
01/25/2018 6:30 pm, SECN |
No. 9 | Arkansas | W 90–42 | 17–3 (6–2) |
Colonial Life Arena (12,844) Columbia, SC | ||||||
01/28/2018 6:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 9 | No. 11 Missouri | W 64–54 | 18–3 (7–2) |
Colonial Life Arena (13,433) Columbia, SC | ||||||
02/01/2018* 7:00 pm, ESPN |
No. 7 | No. 1 Connecticut | L 58–83 | 18–4 |
Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Columbia, SC | ||||||
02/05/2018 7:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 7 | at No. 2 Mississippi State | L 53–67 | 18–5 (7–3) |
Humphrey Coliseum (10,794) Starkville, MS | ||||||
02/08/2018 7:00 pm, SECN |
No. 7 | at Alabama | W 79–66 | 19–5 (8–3) |
Coleman Coliseum (2,313) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||||
02/11/2018 1:00 pm, SECN |
No. 7 | Florida | W 64–57 | 20–5 (9–3) |
Colonial Life Arena (15,385) Columbia, SC | ||||||
02/15/2018 7:00 pm |
No. 8 | at No. 20 Georgia | W 77–65 | 21–5 (10–3) |
Stegeman Coliseum (4,072) Athens, GA | ||||||
02/18/2018 3:00 pm, SECN |
No. 8 | Kentucky | W 81–63 | 22–5 (11–3) |
Colonial Life Arena (14,895) Columbia, SC | ||||||
02/22/2018 6:30 pm, SECN |
No. 7 | No. 24 LSU | W 57–48 | 23–5 (12–3) |
Colonial Life Arena (12,385) Columbia, SC | ||||||
02/25/2018 4:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 7 | at No. 15 Tennessee | L 46–65 | 23–6 (12–4) |
Thompson–Boling Arena (13,058) Knoxville, TN | ||||||
SEC Women's Tournament | |||||||||||
03/02/2018 7:00 pm, SECN |
(2) No. 8 | vs. (7) No. 12 Tennessee Quarterfinals |
W 73–62 | 24–6 |
Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN | ||||||
03/03/2018 7:30 pm, ESPNU |
(2) No. 8 | vs. (3) No. 19 Georgia Semifinals |
W 71–49 | 25–6 |
Bridgestone Arena (8,819) Nashville, TN | ||||||
03/04/2018 4:30 pm, ESPN2 |
(2) No. 8 | vs. (1) No. 2 Mississippi State Championship Game |
W 62–51 | 26–6 |
Bridgestone Arena (8,215) Nashville, TN | ||||||
NCAA Women's Tournament | |||||||||||
03/16/2018* 7:30 pm, ESPN2 |
(2 A) No. 7 | (15 A) North Carolina A&T First Round |
W 63–52 | 27–6 |
Colonial Life Arena (11,085) Columbia, SC | ||||||
03/18/2018* 9:00 pm, ESPN |
(2 A) No. 7 | (10 A) Virginia Second Round |
W 66–56 | 28–6 |
Colonial Life Arena (10,037) Columbia, SC | ||||||
03/24/2018* 11:30 am, ESPN |
(2 A) No. 7 | vs. (11 A) Buffalo Sweet Sixteen |
W 79–63 | 29–6 |
Times Union Center (10,310) Albany, NY | ||||||
03/26/2018* 7:00 pm, ESPN |
(2 A) No. 7 | vs. (1 A) No. 7 Connecticut Elite Eight |
L 65–94 | 29–7 |
Times Union Center (9,522) Albany, NY | ||||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. A=Albany Region. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Rankings
Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
AP | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | Not released | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coaches | 2 | 2^ | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
^Coaches' Poll did not release a second poll at the same time as the AP.
Team players drafted into the WNBA
Round | Pick | Player | WNBA Club |
1 | 1 | A'ja Wilson | Las Vegas Aces |