The Terps danced through the opening weekend, but now face a juggernaut.
No. 4-seed Maryland women’s basketball has danced into the Sweet 16 after two thrilling home victories. But as the Terps head down to Birmingham, Alabama, a juggernaut awaits.
It can almost be described as a David vs. Goliath matchup. The defending champions, No. 1-seed South Carolina, stand in Maryland’s way of a national championship.
The contest begins at 5 p.m. Friday on ESPN.
No. 1-seed South Carolina Gamecocks (32-3, 15-1 SEC)
Head coach Dawn Staley is one of the best in the nation. She’s led the Gamecocks to three national championships, six Final Fours in the last nine tournaments and eight SEC Tournament and regular season championships. She’s coached 16 seasons at South Carolina and has only lost 109 of her 581 games — an 81.2% winning percentage. She is also a five-time National Coach of the Year recipient.
“[Staley] does it at a really high level. Her teams are always really physical and aggressive,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said. “They play the right way on both ends of the floor. Really tough matchup.”
The last time South Carolina fell in the Sweet 16 or earlier was 2019. Since then, it has made four consecutive Final Fours and won two national championships.
The Gamecocks and Terps have played eight common opponents. South Carolina is 8-2 against those teams, facing Texas three different times. Meanwhile, Maryland is 6-2 in those games, with common losses coming to No. 1-seeds Texas and UCLA.
To advance to the Sweet 16, South Carolina defeated Tennessee Tech and Indiana.
Players to watch
Chloe Kitts, junior forward, 6-foot-2, No. 21 — Kitts is in her third season with South Carolina and has been a strong part of Staley’s roster since joining the team. She leads the Gamecocks with 7.9 rebounds per game, while averaging 10.1 points and 2.1 assists per game. She has also started all 34 games she’s played in this season. She had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the second-round game against Indiana.
Joyce Edwards, freshman forward, 6-foot-3, No. 8 — Edwards is in her first season with South Carolina and leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per game. She has a strong paint presence, averaging 4.9 rebounds per game and only attempting three 3-pointers this year. Edwards is a 55% shooter from inside the arc, coming off the bench in all but one game.
Te-Hina Paopao, senior guard, 5-foot-9, No. 0 — Paopao is in her fifth season of college basketball and her second season with South Carolina after starting at Oregon. This season, she averages 9.7 points per game, along with 2.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. She has also shot 44.8% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
Strength
Depth. South Carolina may have the deepest roster in the nation. Its two leading scorers come off the bench in Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley. South Carolina averages the most bench points per game (41.5) in the country, which is 51.4% of its total scoring. The next closest team is Duke, which averages 31.7 bench points per game — South Carolina’s bench has scored 343 more points.
“I think it’s no surprise the depth that they have, when you see their two leading scorers are coming off the bench,” Frese said. “I think most remarkable is the All-Americans that fill [Staley’s] entire roster, that she’s able to keep them all happy within those roles.”
Weakness
Three-point shooting. South Carolina doesn’t have many weaknesses, but its 3-point shooting is below average for its lofty standards. South Carolina shoots 33.8% from beyond the arc this season, which is 76th in the nation. That being said, the Gamecocks’ 3-point percentage is still the fourth-best in the SEC. Compared to Maryland, which is 23rd-best in the nation and fourth-best in the Big Ten at 36.2%.
Three things to watch
1. How sweet it is. The Terps have now made the Sweet 16 in four of the last five seasons, but only once advanced past this round. Under Brenda Frese, the Terps have made 12 Sweet 16 appearances, seven times making it to the Elite Eight. This year’s team will need its best game of the season to continue dancing.
“That’s something that you dream of when you’re a kid and everything, so just to be a part of that feels amazing,” Sarah Te-Biasu said of the Sweet 16.
2. Can the Terps break their South Carolina struggles? Maryland has faced South Carolina every season since 2017-18, except for the 2020-21 campaign. The Gamecocks have won the last five matchups and six of the last seven. In the two seasons prior, Maryland faced South Carolina three times — the Terps lost by a combined 74 points, including an 11-point loss in the 2023 Elite Eight. If the Terps want Friday’s result to be different, Frese and company may need to concoct a special game plan.
“Give it all you got. That’s all you can do, really,” Shyanne Sellers said. “They’re super disciplined and well coached, so we’ve got to make sure we’re doing everything that we need to do and executing the game plan.”
3. Mir McLean’s an X-factor. In the NCAA Tournament, McLean has become an integral part of the Terps’ rotation. She has provided a spark off the bench, playing 36 important minutes against Alabama and notching eight points and 10 rebounds. She also recorded six points and six rebounds in 21 minutes against Norfolk State. McLean and the team will hope her success continues Friday.
“What an X-factor she’s been these last two games, from a defensive end, a rebounding end,” Frese said. “Just her pride to be able to lock down and make the best player on the opposing team have a miserable night.”