South Carolina women’s basketball hits the road for the first time this season Thursday, a short trip up the interstate to face in-state rival Clemson. Dawn Staley’s top-ranked Gamecocks and the Tigers tip off at 7 p.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum, with ESPN2 carrying the game nationally.
The Gamecocks arrive fresh off an 84-39 rout of then-No. 12 North Carolina in the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte on Sunday. Clemson is unbeaten at 3-0, with wins over Radford, East Tennessee State and UNC Greensboro.
Staley likes the focus she is seeing from her group. “I think with this particular team, they’re pretty locked in with the task at hand,” Staley said Wednesday. “They really take it serious about everything that we’re doing, drill by drill, practice scrimmages by practice scrimmages, and I mean I think they’re ready for the challenge.”
Game Details
Matchup: No. 1 South Carolina (2-0) vs. Clemson (3-0)
Date and time: Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
Location: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, S.C.
TV: ESPN2 (Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli on the call)
Stream: ESPN app or ESPN.com
Radio: 106.7 FM (Brad Muller); SiriusXM Channel 84
Series: South Carolina leads 37-33 and won the most recent meeting in 2025
A Rivalry With Its Own Math Problem
As with any good rivalry, the two schools do not agree on the record. South Carolina counts a 37-33 edge in the all-time series, while Clemson’s books credit the Gamecocks with one more win and list the Tigers as trailing 38-32.
The gap seems to trace back to a Dec. 6, 1980, game that Clemson recognizes as an 86-67 South Carolina victory. The Gamecocks’ record book lists it as a “[W] L” because a player was ruled ineligible during the 1980-81 season, forcing forfeits. Either way, South Carolina holds the lead.
The Gamecocks have beaten Clemson 15 straight times. The Tigers’ last win came in a double-overtime game in 2009, and Staley owns a 15-2 record against them at South Carolina.
Staley’s Scouting Report
Staley credited Clemson coach Shawn Poppie for the program’s growth since he arrived in 2024. “I think the recruiting is a little bit different. I think they just really believe. I think there’s a lot of energy around women’s basketball,” she said. “I think he’s done a great job with competing every time he steps on the floor, and he gets his teams ready. Not to say other coaches did not do that. I’m just speaking on just currently.”
She stressed that South Carolina must hold to its defensive standard against an offense that will test it. “Clemson will spread us out a little bit,” Staley said. “Probably set a lot more screens than what we’ve been faced with the first two games of the season. So we’ll be challenged with communicating a lot better and just making sure we’re staying in plays. Probably can’t be as locked into one or two players when they have the ability, all five players on the floor can beat you one way or the other.”
Poppie Sees an Opening
Poppie said Tuesday that his players have “belief” they can pull the upset, and he pointed to last year’s film as the reason. “The reality is, it was a 10-point game going in the fourth a year ago,” Poppie said.
He is right about that. Clemson trailed 45-35 after three quarters in Columbia. Then South Carolina won the final period 20-2 while the Tigers went 0-for-17 from the floor. “They whooped us,” Poppie said.
Clemson finished last season 21-12 (11-7 ACC) and made just its second NCAA Tournament since 2002. A disputed call in the game against Southern Cal kept the Tigers from a second-round rematch with South Carolina, and many view the program as ascending.
Poppie called facing the nation’s No. 1 team a “measuring stick.” South Carolina is Clemson’s first Power 4 opponent this season. “There’s not many people that really feel like we can go out there and beat them on Thursday except the ones we have in that locker room,” Poppie said.
Keys to Watch
Play all 40 minutes: The Gamecocks were dominant for the full game against North Carolina. Against Clemson last year, they needed three quarters to find their rhythm before winning 65-37. Repeating the North Carolina effort is the surest way to avoid an upset.
Stay focused on the present: Thursday opens a two-game stretch in the Upstate. South Carolina meets No. 3 Southern Cal on Sunday in Greenville, and the Gamecocks cannot afford to look past Clemson. Recovery matters too, since the Trojans will have two more days of rest between games.
Injury update: Sophomore Alicia Tournebize sat out the UNC win with a boot on her left foot and what Staley called a “lower leg injury.” She practiced Wednesday, and Staley said “as of right now” everyone except freshman forward Kaeli Wynn should be available against Clemson.
Players to Watch
– South Carolina’s Chloe Kitts: The fifth-year forward looked like her old self against North Carolina, posting a double-double with team-high totals of 17 points and 10 rebounds. In her first two games back from the ACL tear she suffered in October 2025, Kitts is averaging 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.
– Clemson’s Mia Moore: Last season’s top scorer at 13.3 points per game, Moore spent much of the summer in eligibility limbo before the NCAA granted her a sixth year in October. She is one of four Tigers averaging double figures this season.
Bottom Line
South Carolina is the clear favorite and has the history on its side, but Clemson has real reasons for optimism: a rising program, a credible scoring attack and a memory of how close last year’s game was through three quarters. The Gamecocks’ best path is the one they took in Charlotte, a complete performance with sharp communication against Clemson’s screens. With Southern Cal looming Sunday, Thursday is as much about discipline as talent.
