South Carolina women’s basketball is navigating life with a smaller roster than usual. The Gamecocks closed Sunday with seven available players, a fact that didn’t hurt them against NC Central but did force others to log heavy minutes.
Roster turmoil began in July when Ashlyn Watkins announced she would sit out the season, cutting the squad to 11. About a month before tip-off, Chloe Kitts suffered a torn ACL, reducing the roster to 10—a concerning figure for a program accustomed to nine or 10 players deep. Losing another member would be tough to weather.
Ten games in, South Carolina has had all 10 players available at the start in only four games, and all 10 on the floor in just three. The attrition started in the preseason when Ayla McDowell missed the North Carolina game due to illness. Maddy McDaniel exited the season opener versus Grand Canyon after a knee collision, missing the next four games due to injury and a suspension. Agot Makeer left the second game against Bowling Green after being stepped on, leaving eight players on the roster. She returned for Clemson but has missed the last two games while in concussion protocol.
The most extreme moment came against NC Central: Makeer was out, Tessa Johnson was ill, and Madina Okot left the game with illness less than four minutes before halftime. Okot returned to the bench after halftime but did not play, leaving South Carolina with seven available players.
“It sucks, dealing with that,” Ta’Niya Latson said. “It hits us as a team, but we’ve got to keep going. That’s Coach’s mentality, next man up, and we’ve just got to keep on.”
Head coach Dawn Staley described her approach as focusing only on the players who are available. During a timeout, Raven Johnson noted the absence of Tessa Johnson as a passer they missed.
The program has occasionally faced even tougher shortages. Earlier this season, Auburn held walk-on tryouts to fill the back end of its roster. Two years ago, TCU endured so many injuries it forfeited games and opened tryouts to add four players so the team could finish the season.
South Carolina is now in a similar period, but Staley is weighing options. In 2022-23, Notre Dame faced so many injuries that they pressured freshman Cassandre Prosper to enroll early to bolster the bench. (Kitts enrolled early that same December, though not for depth.)
As for potential early additions, Wynn and Andrews are both recovering from injuries, so immediate help isn’t likely. With only 10 healthy players, the Gamecocks will press on as they are.
“It's a different challenge, and we perform best when we’re tested,” Staley said. “We may not feel or look ideal, but we aim for the same outcomes we always pursue.”
For fans who wonder how much longer this luck-of-the-draw roster situation can last, it’s worth noting that other programs have weathered similar storms successfully—and that resilience can define a season as much as talent. If a brighter balance comes, the Gamecocks could flip the script. Do you think they should pursue any midseason roster changes or stay the course with the players they have? Share your thoughts.
