Dawn Staley's South Carolina squad shares offseason fun by naming their favorite song of summer ft. Tessa Johnson
The off-season is in full swing as Dawn Staley South, Carolina Gamecocks eyes nothing short of another championship run. With those expectations, a handful of new additions and the departure of star player Kamilla Cardoso, Staley is ensuring that the team's chemistry remains high before their season opens in Las Vegas against Michigan on November 4.
In a recent snippet on South Carolina's Instagram, Dawn Staley is heard asking her squad their favorite songs from the summer. Center Sakima Walker and guard Tessa Johnson started the unofficial party while MiLaysia Fulwiley, Chloe Kitts, Maryam Dauda, Sania Feagin and others joined in.
"Song choice - top tier Singing ability 🥴," the Carolina Gamecocks' IG account hilariously quipped the post.
Part of the Gamecocks schedule is already out and the practices have started as well. Apart from a few of the non-conference matchups, the date and time of their season are yet to be announced.
For their SEC games, Dawn Staley's squad will host Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas. On the other side, they travel to play Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and the SEC-newcomer Texas (only home and home game).
The biggest challenge for Dawn Staley would be to utilize the freshmen
While new players are acclimatized to the idea of experiencing little to no playing time, Dawn Staley’s biggest strength is that her wins come through the entire lineup. With that, as four new players don the Gamecocks jersey, Staley will have to skim through her numerous lineup considerations and combinations to continue her winning ways.
Joyce Edwards is the biggest addition this summer. She is quick on her feet, can find open lanes, face-up defenders and sink jumpers. She was rated as the nation's second-best prospect and can do it all on the other end of the floor too.
Maddy McDaniel can score but loves to make the extra pass. She prioritizes the team over everything else, even in the toughest scenarios. However, Dawn Staley already has enough guards on her roster, even to run a three-guard lineup like last year.
Adhel Tac, the 6-foot-5 big, could be a problem on the court for the opponents. She can force her will on offense, is smart with her decisions, can move well for her size, has good footwork and can kick it out for an assist. However, Tac’s knee issues can prevent Dawn Staley from fully relying on her and force her to consistently look for alternatives.
Maryam Dauda, who torched 19 points against Staley’s crew last season, is a big who can connect from the long range. She can also time her blocks on D but could face concerns around a starting role behind Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts.