No. 1 South Carolina opened its 2026-27 season with a 101-93 win over No. 20 Maryland in Paris on Monday. The Gamecocks led by as many as 31 points before a second-half Terrapins rally turned the finish dramatic. South Carolina heads back to the States at 1-0, and head coach Dawn Staley had plenty to say afterward. Here are the key takeaways from her postgame press conference.
Why Maryland Nearly Completed the Comeback
South Carolina took a 61-33 lead into halftime and stretched it to 31 points in the third quarter. Maryland then trimmed the margin to six with less than a minute remaining. The Terrapins outscored the Gamecocks 60-40 over the second half, and Staley pointed to both Maryland’s execution and her own team’s lapses.
“I thought Maryland got into a rhythm,” Staley said. “They turned us over. Sometimes we took quick shots, and then they drove the ball down our throats, and we were unable to stop the bleeding. As Chloe [Kitts] said, we do have to get better. These games are for exposing us to things that we need to get better at, and also expose us to things that we are good at. It was the first game in which this team has taken the floor. We found our practices are a lot different than actually in the game, and it was a tale of two halves, that we certainly got to play for 40 minutes every time we step on the floor.”
The shooting splits show how dramatically the game flipped. South Carolina outshot Maryland 57.9% to 31.4% in the first half, but the Terrapins turned the tables after the break, shooting 52.5% to the Gamecocks’ 40%. Turnovers followed the same pattern: Maryland committed just three in the second half while forcing South Carolina into 10.
Addi Mack’s Second-Half Takeover
Sophomore guard Addi Mack powered the rally with 35 points, 31 of them after halftime. She scored 17 in the third quarter alone, nearly matching South Carolina’s entire output for the period. Staley credited both her own team’s defensive breakdowns and Mack’s talent.
“It was all the above,” Staley said. “To be quite honest, we had breakdowns, and she made us pay. What you see and what you should expect to see, is women can play, like really play basketball, like really take advantage of things out there on the floor. She went to the heart of our defense, and when you go to the heart of the defense, the rest of it’s going to go.”
“And I thought they did a good job spacing us out and squeezing our defense to kick out for open 3s. The game plan was pretty good in the first and second quarters. The third quarters we got a little bit tight, probably got a little bit fatigued, and we lost our competitive spirit on that end of the floor. And we got to find a way to finish the game for 40 minutes. But, Addi did a great job. You don’t want to be on the opposing side of it, but hell, it was good to see some basketball. It was great. She made it a game.”
Agot Makeer Delivers
On South Carolina’s side, sophomore guard Agot Makeer had a breakout night. She set career highs with 20 points and four three-pointers, shooting 8 of 10 from the field.
“She played just like she’s been practicing,” Staley said. “Gotti always has a way of meeting the moment, and today we needed every single one of her points. She looks like she’s in mid-season form from the way she’s been practicing. So super proud of a young talent like her. She’s got to keep going, and we’re relying on it. First game out, but I think we have to rely on the things that she brings to the table, and I mean, she’s pretty good at doing it.”
The Mental Side of the Game
Staley has repeatedly said this offseason that her roster must grow in mental toughness, and Monday’s second half reinforced that message.
“It’s one of the things that we have to get better at, which is the mental part of the game,” Staley said. “Physically, we probably were a little tired, but when you’re physically tired, the mental piece has to kick in. So I don’t think we’ve created enough habits…If you’re tired, something else has to kick in, and that’s your habits, that’s your mental habits. Your competitive spirit will allow you to to to give a little bit more in those type of situations.”
A Homecoming for the French Duo
South Carolina’s two French players, Alicia Tournebize and Justine Loubens, got to play in front of family and friends in their home country. Each logged three minutes. Staley said both would likely have seen more time had the game stayed out of reach for Maryland.
“It’s great to come back, bring Ali and Justine back,” Staley said. “We were anticipating playing them a little bit more than what they got. The game got close, and I just thought that other experienced players needed to play ahead of them. I thought you if Ali didn’t get a little bit foul trouble in the time that she was in in the first half, she probably would have played a little bit more extended minutes, which would probably helped her and helped us make a decision in the second half whether we would put her back in.”
Tournebize finished with two personal fouls and a block. Loubens recorded an assist and a steal, and missed her only shot attempt. Staley spoke highly of both players, noting they are skilled and simply need to keep developing their physicality as their roles grow. She was especially complimentary of Loubens.
“Justine is moving up the depth chart for me,” Staley said. “It’s just she’s very, very reliable. She is calm, composed, makes good basketball plays. So I think she’s going to move up. Like we need steadiness. We need discipline. We need players that we feel like can give us what we need. And she has actually been doing that for a long time. And I think today she played great. I thought she did some really nice things out there that we probably should have given her a shot to play a little bit more, but in the future she will play more.”
Bottom Line
Staley’s postgame message was consistent: she liked the roster’s ceiling but wasn’t thrilled with how the Gamecocks managed their lead. The first half showed a team with elite shooting and sharp execution. The second half exposed fatigue, loose habits and defensive breakdowns, and Staley made clear those are fixable but must be addressed quickly. With a ranked North Carolina team up next, the focus will be on turning mental toughness from a talking point into a daily standard. The encouraging signs, including Makeer’s breakout and Loubens’ growing role, suggest this group has the pieces to do it.
