For the first time this season, Dawn Staley’s South Carolina did not receive a first-place vote in the AP Poll. They slid from No. 2 to No. 3 with UConn holding its own at the top. The drop is courtesy of their heartbreaking loss against Texas last week. While a 7-1 record is still respectable for a powerhouse, their early season has shown some kinks. For some, this might even be an expected Achilles heel. 

“They’re (South Carolina) so reliant on their five starters. Their five starters have played 100 minutes together this season. And when they have played, they have been elite. They are one of the best starting lineups in the country,” Ben Pickman said on No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show. “They are the best starting lineup in the SEC of any starting lineup that has played more than 50 minutes per game this year. But across the country, only TCU’s starting lineup has played more minutes in their 8 games than South Carolina’s.”

With just 10 players in the rotation, it was always going to be a more traditional starting 5. Joyce Edwards, Ta’Niya Latson, Madina Okot, Tessa Johnson, and Raven Johnson are their core, with the lineup not changing even once this season. They have followed through with the trust, with everyone, barring Raven, averaging double digits. Raven Johnson is pulling the strings, averaging a team-high 6.6 assists per game. However, that has a lopsided effect on their bench production, which is a major contrast from last year. 

“That is a big change from the South Carolina team we saw last year. Think about last year’s South Carolina team. They averaged more than 40 bench points per game. That was first in the country a season ago. This year, they’re averaging just over 17 points off the bench per game,” Pickman further said. 

They have the 253rd-best bench in the country at 17.4 points per game. That is not the South Carolina we know. South Carolina‘s top-ranked bench was led by Joyce Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley last year. With Fulwiley having left for LSU and Tessa Johnson moving to the starting lineup, the bench punch has been drained.

Chloe Kitts tore her ACL, further severing their depth. Maddy McDaniel is the only returning guard coming off the bench, as the five on the bench played a combined average of 4.4 minutes per game last year. It feels like Staley doesn’t yet fully trust her inexperienced bench.

“It’s all about units like who’s playing well together. I thought our starters were playing well together, and I didn’t want to rock the boat because of that type of game,” Staley said after their Southern California win. “The momentum shifts so quickly that you want to make sure that it’s always in striking distance of you being able to pull away or not get too far down to where it creates a momentum for them. But slowly, we’re getting there. We’re getting there.”

Since then, Staley has given them more time on the court against weaker opponents. 

Against Winthrop, she had an average of 18 bench minutes, while against Queens, she had an average of 17 minutes from the bench. Against Duke and Texas, that number was again down to 11 and 6.2, respectively. As the season progresses, their bench will be crucial. Whether that is providing some inspiration for a stretch, someone lands in foul trouble, or in case of injuries, Staley will need her support players to be ready. As they try and solve their depth issues, Dawn Staley will also aim to improve another part of their game: their three-point shooting. 

Dawn Staley needs more outside shooting 

In the game against Texas, South Carolina attempted just 7 threes, making 2 of them. That played right into Texas’s hands, who rely on its paint presence in its offense. They attempted just 6 threes in that game as well (all by Jordan Lee). For South Carolina, that is out of their playbook as they average 13.3 attempted threes per game. That is still only good enough for 350th rank in the country. Their accuracy has been great, shooting 37.7% from beyond the arc, but the volume is just not there. 

“South Carolina is also missing some significant outside shooting. Chloe Kitts even put up threes last year, but Tessa Johnson is one of those people I’m looking at that. They’re going to need more production out of her from the perimeter, especially on those kickouts,” Zena Keita said. 

Johnson has been Dawn Staley’s most effective three-point shooter. She is shooting 4.5 threes a game at 47.2%. However, that is just 1.6 more than last year, when she was coming off the bench and playing just 21.2 minutes a game. This season, she is in the starting lineup playing 10 more minutes on average. There is not much shooting around her, so that volume needs to go up. 

“Ta’Niya Latson is another person that could produce a lot more threes. I believe what she was 40% from three last season. Performed pretty well from outside as well,” Keita further said. “So, it’s like there’s an opportunity here. It’s a long season, folks. So, we’ll see what happens in terms of the production as folks get more acclimated to South Carolina,” Keita further said. 

Latson is shooting at 50% but only attempting 1.8 threes per game. Last year, that number read 3.7 per game at 34.3%. Raven Johnson is another player who could chip in with more threes. Currently, she is averaging 2.1 attempts a game at 47.1%. She has not been a shooter for the past years, but her efficiency so far suggests she can become one.