South-Carolina
Will South Carolina, Dawn Staley give Vanderbilt, Mikayla Blakes first loss? Our prediction
COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball has a quick turnaround from a road upset to a top-5 matchup.
The No. 2 Gamecocks (19-2, 5-1 SEC) lost 94-82 to No. 16 Oklahoma in Norman on Jan. 22 and now hosts No. 4 Vanderbilt in Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 25 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).
South Carolina lost one regular season SEC game last season but previously hadn’t lost one since the 2021-22 season.
The Commodores (20-0, 6-0) are one of two undefeated teams in Division I women’s basketball but the Gamecocks are looking for their second top-5 win this month.
Here’s what to know about Vanderbilt as coach Dawn Staley comes off her first loss to Oklahoma since 2007.
Mikayla Blakes leads DI basketball, Vanderbilt on offense
Mikayla Blakes is one of the most prolific scorers in women’s basketball, averaging 24.8 points per game (No. 2 in the country) to go with 4.5 assists. She is shooting 45.6% from the field and making 2.3 3-pointers per game.
The 5-foot-8 sophomore has five 30-point games this season. In the two losses to South Carolina last year she scored 19 and 20 points, respectively.
Aaliyah Chavez scored 15 points in overtime to single-handedly win it for Oklahoma which heightens the concern level for Staley’s defense against Blakes.
Blakes attacks the basket with both versatility and discipline and is fast and shifty with the ball. She requires a lot of energy on defense which means South Carolina can’t depend on Raven Johnson on offense as it has been.
If Johnson is locked into Blakes, the Gamecocks offense has to step up outside of their point guard to create flow and momentum without asking Johnson to do everything.
South Carolina’s guards have tall task with Vanderbilt
It isn’t just Blakes who South Carolina has to stop. Vandy freshman guard Aubrey Galvan is averaging 11.7 points and has scored 35 combined points across the last two games.
She has range from behind the arc and hit 3-of-6 in the win over Michigan to help Vanderbilt when Blakes was in foul trouble.
Vanderbilt deploys a guard heavy offense instead of playing through a center or forward like Oklahoma. Justine Pissott is a guard/forward also averaging 11.7 with 3.17 made 3-pointers per game (second in SEC).
All five Gamecocks have to defend, but this is a huge game for Tessa Johnson. If Raven Johnson has Blakes, Tessa Johnson will have to be on alert that Galvan can launch from deep.
When Agot Makeer comes in off the bench, her length will be crucial if it’s disruptive like it was against Texas’ Madison Booker.
Vanderbilt leads the SEC with 10.17 made 3-pointers per game, another reason why South Carolina guards have to stay tight to their player.
Why Alicia Tournebize could be key vs Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s tallest player is 6-4 forward Aiyana Mitchell. South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards is 6-3 and plays with 6-6 Madina Okot.
Okot had six points and three turnovers in the Oklahoma loss, and the two starters went a combined 6-of-21 from the floor. South Carolina missed 16-of-31 layups.
Against a team that runs through a guard, the point production has to have a rapid turnaround from the Oklahoma loss. Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph is smart and can make in-game adjustments but the height advantage for South Carolina has to be a reason to dominant inside.
Off the bench, Alicia Tournebize was arguably the best forward for Staley against Oklahoma, scoring nine points in 14 minutes on 4-of-6 shooting, but she’s still adjusting to how fouls are called at the college level. She sat for the fourth quarter and overtime with four.
Though it’s only her fourth game, the 6-7 player doesn’t just bring height but a creativity on offense and a versatile jump shot that could be a difference-maker if Okot and Edwards are struggling in the paint.
South Carolina vs Vanderbilt prediction
South Carolina 81, Vanderbilt 76: Gamecocks win with a quick turnaround and protect home court.
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
Columbia, Mo. — The South Carolina softball team (25-21, 4-13) dropped the second game of its series at Missouri (24-23, 7-10) 5-0 Saturday night (Apr. 18).
Kai Byars led the Gamecocks with a pair of doubles on the night. It was her second multi-hit game of the season and her first game with multiple extra base hits.
The Tigers scored a run in the third inning without the aid of a hit. They would extend the lead and add four more in the fourth.
Carolina’s best opportunity for a run came in third. Byars doubled to lead off the inning and Shae Anderson followed with a bunt single. A double play on a potential sacrifice fly ended the rally.
Emma Friedel (8-4) took the loss, allowing one run on no hits in 3 1-3 innings. She struck out six and walked three.
The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.
Audi Crooks on being in the transfer portal
USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg catches up with college basketball star Audi Crooks, who is still looking for her next team.
Sports Seriously
Jordan Lee entered the transfer portal after a breakout season at Texas and the junior guard isn’t going too far. She’s staying in the Southeastern Conference.
Lee announced on Instagram Friday that she’s transferring to South Carolina to play for Dawn Staley after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Texas under Vic Schaefer. Lee captioned her Instagram post, which featured a video montage of her visit to Columbia, South Carolina, “Feeling cocky.”
Lee was one of four players from Texas to enter the transfer portal after the Longhorns’ second consecutive trip to the Final Four ended in a devastating loss to UCLA. She was named to the All-Region team in the Fort Worth 3 bracket in this year’s NCAA Tournament following her Sweet 16 and Elite Eight performance, where she recorded 22 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals while also providing strong defense.
After being limited to five starts her freshman year, Lee slid into the starting lineup last season and started a career-high 38 games. She also averaged career highs in points (13.2), assists (2.5), rebounds (2.5), steals (1.5), field-goal percentage (42%) and free-throw percentage (75%), while shooting 34% from 3-point range.
Texas’ Aaliyah Crump, Justice Carlton and Aaliyah Moore also entered the transfer portal. On Friday, Crump announced she’s transferring to Duke, citing her connection with head coach Kara Lawson.
“For me, choosing Duke University goes far beyond one sentence. The moment I connected with Kara Lawson and her coaching staff, I knew I was exactly where I belonged,” said Crump, who averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game her freshman season at Texas.
Crump continued: “Their dedication and vision for the program is truly special, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of it. The connection Coach Lawson and I have built is one of a kind, and I fully trust in her plan for the success of this program. I can’t wait to be coached by genuine people who support my growth not only as a basketball player, but as a person as well.”
Three-time All-American Madison Booker and junior starting forward Breya Cunningham are expected to return to Texas.
Contributing: Mitchell Northam
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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Each offseason, the NFL shakes up the landscape with free agency, as some of the top names at each position move around the league to new teams. The New Orleans Saints have fallen victim to this in 2026 so far, with Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor both moving on, and Cameron Jordan not having re-signed as of yet. Cornerback was a position that could already use a talent influx alongside Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley; now, it is even more of an issue.
Adding a new defensive back to fill the STAR role for the defense is certainly going to be a focus this spring, and that has been clear from the Saints’ pre-draft meetings. Recently, they added another name to the growing list; this time, it was South Carolina prospect Jalon Kilgore.
There is a lot to like about Kilgore, especially in that nickel or STAR role long term. He is enormously athletic and absolutely rapid both in straight-line testing and on the field. He got a decent chunk of his collegiate snaps at slot corner, 1,382 to be exact, but also had 541 in the box, 238 at free safety, 53 along the defensive line, and 24 as an outside corner.
His coverage metrics in 2025 were very solid, as on 65 targets, he allowed 34 receptions (52.3%) for 390 yards and 2 touchdowns. He picked up 2 interceptions, 10 pass deflections, 54 total tackles, and 2 fumble recoveries in 694 total snaps this season. Throughout the combine, he ended up performing well in pretty much every drill, which bodes well for his ability to translate to the NFL. If the Saints are looking to add someone with slot experience already, Kilgore may be one of the best options available.
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