South-Carolina
Will South Carolina work through injuries, beat Lady Vols? Our prediction
COLUMBIA — After a brief pause in ranked play, South Carolina women’s basketball hosts a top-20 SEC matchup.
The No. 3 Gamecocks (23-2, 9-1 SEC) beat Mississippi State 88-45 on Feb. 5 and now host No. 17 Tennessee on Feb. 8 (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
South Carolina hasn’t had a ranked game since it beat then No. 4 Vanderbilt 103-74 on Jan. 25.
The Lady Vols (15-5, 7-1 SEC) are coming into the game off a overtime win over Georgia and coach Kim Caldwell is 0-1 against Dawn Staley since taking over the program.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
South Carolina vs Tennessee injury report for Dawn Staley
It’s unclear whether three South Carolina starting guards – Tessa Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson or Agot Makeer – will play against the Lady Vols.
Latson and Makeer have missed the last two games with lower leg injuries.
Staley held Johnson out of the second half of South Carolina’s win over Mississippi State on Feb. 5, saying, “She’s just a little sore so we opted to keep her out and get her ready for the Tennessee game.”
If Staley had to pick between resting Latson and Makeer for one of the next two games, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she picks Tennessee with LSU on Feb. 14 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), but that doesn’t mean they aren’t needed.
Latson is not only the second-leading scorer with 15.2 points but is versatile in how she scores. Raven Johnson will need help from veterans like Latson and Tessa Johnson, who won’t get thrown off by the pace of Tennessee’s play.
Makeer is mature on both sides of the basketball and can help the Gamecocks against the Lady Vols’ defensive pressure.
The most official update will come from the SEC injury report, first published at 8:10 p.m. ET on Feb. 7 then updated Feb. 8.
Can South Carolina handle Tennessee’s fast-paced, high-pressure style?
Caldwell’s system subs often, which means she demands high-level speed and effort for a fast-paced game.
South Carolina has struggled at times with getting sped up by opponents, like when it had 21 turnovers vs Florida. Texas pressed most of the game on Jan. 15 and the Gamecocks won 68-65 but had 20 turnovers.
Tennessee is 26th nationally in steals with 11.6 and 22nd in turnovers forced per game at 21.37.
Raven Johnson had no turnovers last year when she played Tennessee but had veteran guards around her. It will be a big game for freshman Ayla McDowell and sophomore Maddy McDaniel, especially if Latson doesn’t play.
Where South Carolina can capitalize on Tennessee’s weaknesses
In their 77-62 loss to Mississippi State, the Lady Vols were outrebounded 50-31. South Carolina can take control if it keeps them off the boards.
They also average 15.4 turnovers a game (ranks 116th) and South Carolina forces 19 a game.
Caldwell said that in the loss to UConn on Feb. 1, Tennessee took bad shots that turned into points for UConn. South Carolina’s opponents are shooting an average of 33.8% from the field (sixth nationally) so forcing the Lady Vols into rushed or poor shots is key.
Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot will also need to make the most of South Carolina’s size advantage.
South Carolina vs Tennessee prediction
South Carolina 71, Tennessee 60: The Gamecocks are led by Okot and Edwards on 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
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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