South Carolina’s women’s basketball team is entering 2026 with a lot to look forward to. 

The Gamecocks are ranked No. 3 in the country with a (15-1) record. They began the New Year by picking up their first conference win of the season in an 83-57 win over Alabama. A few days later, the team hit the road for its second conference game, beating Florida 74-63. 

While the win over the Gators wasn’t pretty at times, head coach Dawn Staley said she is happy with how the team is playing and growing each time out. 

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Staley said. “You’ve got to make sure your players are confident enough to turn the page and get to the next thing, so it doesn’t impact what’s happening in real time. I mean, they’re still very young, still a young group as far as how much time they’ve spent together. But they’re growing up in there.”

South Carolina ended the non-conference season as one of the top offenses in the country. The team saw a little slip in the Florida game, recording a season-high 21 turnovers in their fourth-lowest scoring game this season. 

Staley expects her team to bounce back, but not to the same level they were playing at before. She made it clear that when playing in the SEC, the competition is bound to get a lot tougher. 

“We just want to walk through and win games by 30 points, that is not how it’s going to be in our league,” she said. 

Like last season, the Gamecocks are led by a balanced unit of key players. This includes Joyce Edwards, Ta'Niya Latson, Madina Okot, Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson. 

Edwards continues to be a force down low in just her second season of collegiate ball. She is averaging a team-high 21 points and six rebounds while shooting over 60% from the floor. 

Okot also does a standout job in the paint, averaging a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double. 

Edwards and Okot also make their presence felt on defense, leading the team in steals and blocks, respectively. 

“We know we could put some points on the scoreboard, but preventing other people from putting points on the scoreboard just creates momentum,” Staley said. “Momentum is a crazy thing in our league. If you don’t have it, you’re susceptible to losing. So, sometimes, you've got to create it.”

Raven Johnson is a key part of the team’s success on defense, but in recent games, she’s upped her offensive output. 

The Gamecocks have played without Ta’Niya Latson since spraining her ankle in a win over Providence on Dec. 28. In her absence, Johnson has stepped up and taken control on the perimeter. 

In the games against Florida and Alabama, she combined for 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. 

“I just knew she would do exactly what she did,” Staley said. “Raven really gets excited about SEC play. She knows the importance of it. She knows that she does not like losing because she hasn’t done that a whole lot over her career, but Raven’s ready. She actually does what’s needed to win basketball games. That’s just Raven in a nutshell.”

Latson’s injury is not severe, and she is considered day-to-day. When she does return, Johnson said she will feel like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. But if Johnson can maintain even some of her improved numbers, the team could reach an even higher level. 

South Carolina can use any boost it will get as the team prepares for a challenging stretch of games. 

The Gamecocks have three conference games against top-10 teams on the schedule in January. That includes a home rematch against No. 2 Texas. South Carolina lost to Texas in the final game of the Players Era Championship back in November. 

That game is scheduled for Jan. 15.