South-Carolina
Thoughts on adding Ta’Niya Latson, losing Chloe Kitts after 2 South Carolina exhibitions
ATLANTA — South Carolina women’s basketball got two different looks at the 2025-26 team before the season officially begins, learning some good and bad through the two exhibition wins.
The Gamecocks beat UNC 91-82 on Oct. 30, after beating Division II Anderson 112-31 on Oct. 24. There are four new faces two the roster, two from the portal in Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot along with two freshmen in Ayla McDowell and Agot Makeer.
Coach Dawn Staley and the No. 2 Gamecocks open the season against Grand Canyon on Nov. 3 (7 p.m. ET) at home, her first real look at her 10 players as South Carolina aims for a fourth national championship.
With two exhibition games in the books and four days until wins and losses matter, here’s what stands out about this South Carolina team so far.
South Carolina has scorers but 3-point shooting still a work in progress
Latson didn’t come to South Carolina to shoot 3-pointers, but she did come after averaging 21 or more points the last three seasons for Florida State. She finished with 19 on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor against UNC, piggybacking off a 14-point night against Anderson.
She is getting more comfortable in South Carolina’s system and her mid-range magic was on display against the Tar Heels.
Latson got help from her fellow starters with sophomore forward Joyce Edwards scoring 27 against Anderson and 12 against UNC. Okot finished with double digits both games (17 and 11) and Tessa Johnson went 7-of-11 from the floor for 19 points against UNC.
The Gamecocks shot 53.1% from the field against Anderson and 50% against UNC but from behind the 3-point line they were 4-of-18 both games (22.2%). It’s an area to work on, especially if teams take away options inside.
South Carolina will need to be a multidimensional offense this season, especially in SEC play.
What Dawn Staley said about 2025-26 South Carolina roster’s chemistry
Staley lost starting forward Chloe Kitts to an ACL tear in the preseason, which put a wrench in her first five’s chemistry. Edwards and Kitts played really well down low last season, something Staley was looking to build off this season.
At times the last two games but against UNC especially, it looked like South Carolina was shooting early in the shot clock or late on a closeout, likely due to some miscommunication.
“This is a totally different basketball team,” Staley said. “We don’t have the continuity, chemistry and flow that we need. It’s a lot better, even than when we played against Anderson.”
Staley said with so many scorers, her players are still learning sometimes making that extra pass “stabs a defense just a little deeper.”
How Chloe Kitts injury is impacting South Carolina
Losing Kitts meant Edwards’ role would get bigger but Staley will need help from everyone. Until game action, it was hard to see where exactly South Carolina would struggle most without her.
It was a quality night from Okot in her debut on Oct. 24 but she found herself in foul trouble early against UNC. That forced some early minutes from Maryam Dauda, who looked more dominant in the paint. She relied on her 3-point shot a lot last year but looks stronger now and attacked the offensive boards especially against UNC.
She had 10 points and five rebounds against UNC.
Adhel Tac is improving, too, but has only scored nine points in 23 minutes across two games. She is 6-foot-5 and if Dauda is giving Edwards rest at the forward spot, Tac will need to score if Okot is in foul trouble.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
South Carolina women’s basketball starting guard Tessa Johnson was not listed on the injury report Feb. 28 for the Gamecocks’ final regular-season game at Kentucky.
Johnson was practicing on Feb. 27 after missing the 112-71 win over Missouri, but coach Dawn Staley wouldn’t confirm her status for the next game.
No. 3 South Carolina (28-2, 14-1) travels to play No. 18 Kentucky (21-8, 8-7 SEC) on March 1 (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network) to close the regular season.
South Carolina called it an “upper body contusion” on social media not long after she was listed as out on the SEC injury report that published an hour before tipoff vs Missouri.
Staley joked that media would post on social media that Johnson was practicing with the starters, setting the tone that she isn’t hiding the latest on Johnson’s health.
Johnson is a junior guard averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. She leads the SEC in 3-point shooting at 45.5%, which is also eighth in the nation.
Johnson struggled in her two most recent games. She went combined 2-of-13 for six points against Alabama and Ole Miss, just after going 8-of-13 for 21 points against LSU.
Staley said sophomore reserve post/center Adhel Tac is day to day dealing with a lower leg injury. Tac hasn’t played since Feb. 5. She’s still using a medical scooter to move around and has been sitting out practices. She was listed as out again vs Kentucky.
Tessa Johnson injury update, status for Kentucky
The Wildcats have talented guards who can score and defend, in addition to post players like 6-foot-5 center Clara Strack, who averages 16.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Tonie Morgan scores 14.4 points and dishes a nation-high 8.3 assists a game.
Johnson is third in the nation in 3-point shooting at 45.5%. By posing a threat behind the arc, players like Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot get more action in the paint.
Raven Johnson hit a career-high four 3-pointers against Missouri and Maddy McDaniel drained two, but there’s no denying how much Johnson elevates the offense.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
BLUFFTON, S.C. – Kentucky men’s golf begins the month of March at the Colleton River Collegiate this Sunday and Monday at Colleton River Club (par 72, 7403 yards).
UK joins a 15-team field for the 54-hole event, which will consist of 36 holes of continuous play on Sunday, followed by 18 holes on Monday. An 8 a.m. shotgun start will kick things off on Sunday, while Monday’s final round will begin with another shotgun start, this time at 7:45 a.m.
UK is paired with Indiana, Kansas State and Ohio State for the first day of play.
The Wildcats will utilize the same starting five, albeit in a different order, as was featured at the Watersound Invitational just two weeks ago. There, the Cats finished seventh in a loaded field and found themselves as high as third place during the final nine holes.
Sophomore Jacob Settles had the best showing of his collegiate career, finishing tied for seventh at 5-under par, while senior captain Jack Schoenberger had his highest finish of the season, placing tied for 14th at 2-under.
Jacob Lang, Luke Coyle and Cole Stockard will complete UK’s starting five alongside Settles and Schoenberger, the fourth time in six events the Wildcats have featured this starting unit.
Freshman Cameron Phillips will tee it up as an individual once again after an impressive showing in the same role at the Watersound where he tied for 29th and had two rounds under par.
Fans can follow along with live scoring on the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd website.
Kentucky Lineup:
- Jack Schoenberger: Senior, Alpharetta, Ga
- Jacob Lang: Sophomore, Alvaton, Ky.
- Jacob Settles: Sophomore, Winchester, Ky
- Luke Coyle: Junior, Campbellsville, Ky.
- Cole Stockard: Freshman, Dalton, Ga.
Ind. Cameron Phillips: Freshman, Portsmouth, Ohio
Competing Schools (15): Chattanooga, Cincinnati, ETSU, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers
For the latest on UK Men’s Golf follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram @UKmensgolf, and online at ukathletics.com.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Former President Joe Biden spoke Friday at the Columbia Art Museum in downtown Columbia at an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party to honor his more than 50 years with the party and to mark his 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary victory.
Biden entered the South Carolina primary having lost Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. His win in the state gave his campaign momentum heading into the rest of the primary calendar.
“People in this room brought my campaign back from the brink — a lot of pundits, people in the press had given up on me,” Biden said.
Biden said South Carolina’s support was central to his path to the presidency.
“If I could just get to South Carolina I could win the nomination, and I knew if I won the nomination I’d win the presidency because I knew what Bill Clinton and Barack Obama knew before me — South Carolina picks presidents,” Biden said.
South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said Biden’s performance in the state went beyond a primary win.
“Biden didn’t just win, he delivered,” Spain said.
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 primary was a key moment in the campaign, attended the event. Clyburn praised Biden’s record of public service.
“There is no American ever who has demonstrated through his service more substance — and I might add sustenance — than Joseph Robinette Biden,” Clyburn said.
Biden also directed remarks at the current Trump administration and called on Democrats to turn out for November’s midterm elections to help flip the House or Senate.
“There’s no time to give up — it’s time to get up, get up, get up, continue to fight,” Biden said.
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