TAMPA, Fla. — Dawn Staley’s dynastic South Carolina women’s basketball teams have often been spearheaded by superstar talents like A’ja Wilson or Aliyah Boston. But the makeup of this year’s roster is a bit different.
Make no mistake, the Gamecocks are loaded with talent. But it’s been a group effort all season, rather than one alpha as the driving force. Seven different players have led the Gamecocks in scoring in a game this season. Joyce Edwards, who averages a team-high 12.7 points per game, has come off the bench in all but one contest.
The Gamecocks’ bench has been critical in this national championship run, combining for 35 points in a blowout 74-57 win over Texas in the Final Four. Eleven players logged playing time against the Longhorns and all but one scored.
“They’re like another starting five,” South Carolina guard Raven Johnson said. “They’re like our energy booster. When they come in a game, they change the momentum of the game. And I think that helps us with a lot of teams. A lot of teams don’t have depth and they come in and do what they do, it gives us a plus.”
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While South Carolina has drawn on a deep rotation throughout the year, UConn is a bit more star-driven. Wade Trophy winner Paige Bueckers headlines the roster, along with former No. 1 recruits Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd.
“If you want to win it all, you have to have it all,” head coach Geno Auriemma said, quoting legendary Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram. “And if you show up missing some pieces, it’s going to be exposed here on this stage this weekend. And when we showed up, generally speaking, with the right pieces, we were able to, more times than not, win a championship. When we showed up shorthanded, we didn’t.”
South Carolina’s emphasis on bench depth and UConn’s big three represent two different approaches for how to build a championship-caliber program. The Huskies have three players averaging over 26 minutes per game. South Carolina has zero.
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UConn handily beat South Carolina 87-58 when the teams met in mid-February. The Gamecocks’ bench outscored the starting five in that game, 31-27. South Carolina will need more out of its starters in Sunday’s game, but its depth could be the difference maker in the national championship game.
“We don’t have a real go-to player, like a real person who you get the ball in their hands and they’re gonna playmake for you,” Staley said. “To me, it’s just old school basketball where you’re playing to your strengths. Our strength is our depth, our ability to play together.”
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Bo Underwood is a student in the University of Georgia’s Sports Media Certificate program.
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