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LSU vs South Carolina projected starting lineups (January 24) | Women's College Basketball Season 2024-25

LSU visits South Carolina in a marquee SEC clash on Friday night at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

The No. 5-ranked Lady Tigers (20-0, 5-0 SEC) will look to extend its awesome start to the 2024-25 women's college basketball season when they take on the defending champion and No. 2 Gamecocks (18-1, 6-0 SEC) who are also on a 13-game winning run since losing to No. 1 UCLA on Nov. 24.

The Gamecocks have managed to perform well without a 6-foot-4 and above player getting the bulk of the minutes. Dawn Staley lost her most dependable big — Ashlyn Watkins — to a season-ending ACL injury. She has since resorted to small-ball tactics, led by 5-foot-9 Te-Hina Paopao, 6-foot-2 Chloe Kitts and 5-foot-10 MiLaysia Fulwiley, moving forward.

As for LSU, they have 6-foot-5 Jersey Wolfenbarger and 6-foot-6 Aaliyah Del Rosario in the lineup but similarly to Gamecocks, the offense revolves around 5-foot-10 Flau'Jae Johnson, six-foot Mikaylah Williams and 6-foot-1 Aneesah Morrow.

LSU and South Carolina may likely use their usual starting fives in this upcoming clash although it won't be a surprise if coaches Kim Mulkey or Dawn Staley would mix things up a bit to outwit each other.

Mulkey is expected to field her usual starting lineup of Sa'Myah Smith, Morrow, Williams, Johnson and Shayann Day-Wilson. However, the four-time champion coach might elevate Jersey Wolfenbarger to the starter spot if she wishes to or insert bench-spark Kailyn Gilbert or defense-first guard Last-Tear Poa to prevent Paopao from imposing her will early.

As for Staley, she might also employ her usual openers in Kitts, Sania Feagin, Bree Hall, Raven Johnson and Paopao. But don't be surprised if she elevates Fulwiley, Maryam Dauda or Joyce Edwards into the starting lineup on Friday for offensive purposes.

Projected Starting Five

LSU TigersSouth Carolina Gamecocks
Shayeann Day-WilsonTe-Hina Paopao
Flau'Jae JohnsonRaven Johnson
Mikaylah WilliamsBree Hall
Aneesah MorrowChloe Kitts
Sa'Myah SmithSania Feagin

LSU vs South Carolina: A battle for supremacy and consistency

Both teams sit atop the SEC standings due to their consistent performances in the weeks before the clash. LSU has run over weaker opposition and executed well down the stretch against stronger teams to record one of the best starts in program history.

The 80-63 win over Florida on Sunday moved the Lady Tigers to three games away from the 23-0 start by the 2022-23 squad who won their only national women's college basketball championship in history. Unfortunately, the lack of competition may have soured the AP panelists from voting them higher than No. 5 in the weekly polls.

Before the game, LSU had faced only two AP Top 25 teams this season — No. 20 NC State and No. 17 Tennessee, which ranked No. 16 at the time they met on Jan. 9. This is the first Top 10 opponent they're facing and coach Kim Mulkey hopes her team is ready to beat a top-ranked team.

On the other hand, South Carolina has faced a solid mix of quality and high-ranked opponents this season and won most of them by at least 11 points. That list includes No. 9 NC State (71-57), No. 15 Iowa State (76-36), No. 8 Duke (81-70), No. 9 TCU (85-52), No. 5 Texas (67-50), No. 19 Alabama (76-58) and No. 13 Oklahoma (101-60).

LSU hasn't won a game over South Carolina since the 2011-12 season (58-48, Jan 12, 2012). Kim Mulkey and his staff will undoubtedly use that as motivation to beat the Gamecocks, who will look to extend that winning run and give LSU its first loss of the season.

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