Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks return to Colonial Life Arena on Sunday for a marquee SEC showdown against No. 17 Ole Miss, with a regular-season conference championship within reach. South Carolina enters the contest at 26-2 overall and 12-1 in the SEC, riding an eight-game winning streak that includes three consecutive victories over ranked opponents.
A win on Sunday would secure at least a share of the SEC regular-season title for the fifth straight year — a remarkable run of dominance that would place the Gamecocks among the most decorated programs in conference history. Should they clinch outright, South Carolina would become just the second program in the SEC to claim 10 or more regular-season championships, behind only Tennessee.
Adding to the occasion, ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast live from Colonial Life Arena beginning at 11 a.m. ahead of the noon tip-off. It marks the fourth time the show has visited Columbia for a South Carolina women’s basketball game and the program’s eighth overall College GameDay appearance — more than any other women’s basketball program in the country.
Staley’s Read on Ole Miss
Staley was complimentary of the Rebels, who come in at 21-7 and 8-5 in SEC play. Ole Miss ranks among the nation’s leaders in free-throw attempts and makes, averaging 23.64 attempts and 17.36 makes per game respectively.
“Really good team,” Staley said. “Just playing well together. Got them a superstar. Then they got some role players who are superstars in their own right. Just athletic, long, cover a lot of ground on both sides of the ball, like to get up in transition. They got a really solid team in all positions.”
That superstar is senior forward Cotie McMahon, a 6-foot Ohio State transfer who is having the best season of her career. McMahon leads Ole Miss with career-high averages of 20.7 points and 2.8 assists per game, while also contributing 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. She has earned SEC Player of the Week honors three times this season.
“I think she’s a focal point,” Staley said of McMahon. “I think some people like Cotie, thrive in that position, thrive in the driver’s seat. And I do think Coach Yo puts her in the position of being that person, and everybody else is just playing around her, and they don’t mind. It looks like everybody loves the role that they play for their team. And when you have that kind of situation, your play elevates, and you do some historical things.”
Injury Concerns for the Gamecocks
Raven Johnson, who played through illness in Thursday’s win at Alabama, was still under the weather Friday and resting per Staley. Adhel Tac remains day-to-day with a lower leg injury. The official SEC injury report is expected Saturday evening and will provide further clarity on availability ahead of tip-off.
Could Fatigue Hurt Ole Miss?
Sunday’s game will be Ole Miss’s fourth in seven days. The Rebels have played a grueling stretch, falling to then-No. 18 Kentucky on February 15, defeating then-No. 21 Tennessee two days later in a weather-rescheduled make-up game, and then dropping a painful home loss to No. 7 LSU on February 19 after leading by 11 points with just over eight minutes remaining, only to go scoreless from the field for the entire fourth quarter.
Staley, however, is not banking on fatigue playing a role. “We prep for our opponent’s very best,” she said. “In our league, no lead is safe, right? Anybody can beat anybody at any given time, so we always keep that in mind.”
Series History
South Carolina holds a commanding 32-17 lead in the all-time series and has won each of the last 20 meetings. Ole Miss has not beaten the Gamecocks since a one-point win in 2010, with their last victory in Columbia coming a year earlier. Over the last three matchups, South Carolina has won by an average margin of 25.6 points.
How to Watch
Sunday’s game tips off at noon on ESPN from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, with Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli on the call. Local radio coverage is available on 107.5 FM.
