Fresh off a trip to Paris, top-ranked South Carolina women’s basketball hits the road again, this time heading to Charlotte for a ranked showdown with North Carolina. Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks opened the season with a 101-93 victory over No. 20 Maryland overseas and now face the No. 12 Tar Heels in the nightcap of the 2026 Ally Tipoff doubleheader at the Spectrum Center, the home arena of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
Here’s what fans need to know before tipoff.
How to Watch South Carolina vs. North Carolina
– Matchup: No. 1 South Carolina (1-0) vs. No. 12 North Carolina (0-1)
– Date and time: Sunday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m.
– Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
– TV: ESPN
– Streaming: ESPN app or ESPN.com
– Announcers: Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli
– Local radio: 107.5 The Game, with Brad Muller calling the action
– Satellite radio: SiriusXM Channel 84
– Series history: Tied at 11-11, with South Carolina winning the most recent meeting in 2024
A Familiar Stage for the Gamecocks
Sunday won’t be South Carolina’s first trip to the Ally Tipoff. Staley’s squad debuted in the event during the 2024-25 season and left with a 71-57 win over N.C. State, which was ranked ninth at the time.
The event is a doubleheader again this year. No. 14 Kentucky and No. 25 N.C. State get things started at 3 p.m., setting the stage for the Gamecocks and Tar Heels. Looking ahead, South Carolina is already slated to come back in 2027 and 2028, facing UConn and N.C. State, respectively.
Breaking Down the Series
The two programs have met 22 times, and the all-time ledger is dead even at 11-11. South Carolina’s most recent win was a lopsided 88-41 decision in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks also got the better of the Tar Heels in an exhibition last season.
The rivalry got off to a rough start for South Carolina, which fell 76-65 in the first meeting in 1976. The teams then met regularly through the 1980s, the early 2000s and the 2010s.
Right now, the Gamecocks own a four-game winning streak in the series, with victories in 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2015. North Carolina’s last win came in 2014. Sunday will also be the 13th time the two schools have played on a neutral court.
Staley on the Tar Heels
North Carolina arrives at 0-1 after a 91-71 loss to No. 21 Oklahoma in its opener in Paris on Monday. According to Staley, the Tar Heels resemble Maryland in a number of ways, but they separate themselves with how often they fire from deep. UNC attempted 86 shots against Oklahoma, and 40 of them came from beyond the arc.
“[They do] a lot of the things that Maryland does, but they shoot a lot more threes,” Staley said. “…They like to get them up. They like to play at a fast pace and like to get up and down the floor. They got some guards that can shoot it.”
Chief among those guards is true freshman Kate Harpring, a former five-star recruit who poured in 21 points in her college debut against the Sooners.
“I think Harpring presents a problem,” Staley said. “I mean she’s super competitive, can knock down open threes, can create and play make for other people. I think she’s a really solid player as a freshman. But they got other key pieces that just do their job. They’re a physical basketball team. They rebound the ball extremely well, and we’ll be challenged on Sunday.”
Storylines to Watch
Finishing the full 40 minutes: South Carolina raced out to a 31-point advantage against Maryland, only to watch nearly all of it evaporate over the final two quarters. The Gamecocks hung on for the 101-93 win, but they’ll need to play four complete quarters to hold off a talented North Carolina group.
The status of Oliviyah Edwards and Adhel Tac: Freshman forward Oliviyah Edwards, a former five-star recruit ranked No. 3 in last year’s class, and junior forward Adhel Tac both sat out the opener. Staley said Friday that the pair probably should have seen the floor but didn’t because of how the game unfolded. Had the Gamecocks not nearly squandered that 31-point cushion, she explained, more minutes would have been available for players like Tac and Edwards.
Players to Watch
South Carolina guard Agot Makeer: The sophomore opened 2026-27 with one of the strongest games of her young career, pouring in a career-high 20 points against Maryland in Paris. She shot 8-of-10 from the floor and knocked down a career-best four three-pointers, another glimpse of the star potential she carries.
North Carolina guard Kate Harpring: The Tar Heels’ standout freshman wasted no time making her presence felt. Ranked No. 4 in the class of 2026, Harpring scored 21 points in the loss to Oklahoma while adding six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Her 26 shot attempts in a debut game suggest North Carolina intends to lean heavily on her.
Bottom Line
South Carolina escaped Paris with a win, but the way it nearly gave away a 31-point lead is the kind of lapse that a ranked, fast-paced North Carolina team could punish. The Tar Heels have a dangerous young scorer in Harpring and the shooting volume to erase deficits quickly. For the Gamecocks, the formula is simple: play a complete game, get contributions from the full roster, and keep North Carolina’s perimeter looks in check. Do that, and the nation’s top-ranked team should extend its dominance in a series it has controlled lately.
