South Carolina Women's Basketball Program Ready For Future
After five Gamecocks got drafted in the first 25 picks of the 2023 WNBA draft, South Carolina's women's basketball team will have an entirely different feel next season. The voids left by star players Aliyah Boston, Laeticia Amihere, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal, and Victaria Saxton will be difficult to fill, but Kamilla Cardoso moving into a starting role and strong recruiting classes make for an opportunity to continue building the Gamecock Dynasty.
Cardoso has been excellent for the Gamecocks since she arrived in 2021, scoring efficiently in the post and being a rebounding machine. Her efforts last season earned her the SEC's Sixth Woman of the Year award and 2nd-Team All-SEC honors. Last we saw her in the Gamecocks' Final Four matchup with Iowa, she was one of the team's best players, accumulating 14 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks on 78% shooting. Next season she looks to build on that solid performance which will be crucial to the Gamecock's success. Without the post presence of Boston, Amihere, and Saxton, the 6'7 Cardoso looks to be the focal point of the new-look Gamecock offense.
Cardoso, however, will not be the only benefiter of an increased role. In 2022, South Carolina brought in two top 20 recruits, Ashlyn Watkins and Talaysia Cooper, who are poised to take a step forward. The 2023 recruiting class is highlighted by four top 40 recruits; Milaysia Fulwiley, Tessa Johnson, Sahnya Jah, and Chloe Kitts, with Kitts joining the team this past December. While these young players and third-year Sophomore Raven Johnson have yet to determine the exact extent of their roles next season, the talent this roster still boasts is undeniable, and stars will emerge.
It helps that three-time Coach of the Year Dawn Staley will lead the new group. No matter whose leads Staley's teams in scoring, Markeshia Grant, A'ja Wilson, Tyasha Harris, Aliyah Boston, and presumably Kamilla Cardoso, Dawn Staley has been able to consistently deliver strong results, including two national championships and five Final Four appearances. All signs point towards another strong season next year and strong seasons for years to come.
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