Close Michael Vaupel is a senior writer covering the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Vaupel began covering women’s basketball in 1984 and has been with ESPN since 1996.
It was already difficult enough against defending national champion South Carolina. But how the Siamcocks responded to their toughest loss of the season made them even more formidable.
We’re not talking about the lone loss to UCLA on Nov. 24, but rather the loss of junior forward Ashlyn Watkins to a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 5. are. Watkins averaged 7.2 points and 6.1 rebounds, leading the team to 1.5 points overall. She recorded 1.9 blocks in the 14 games she played.
Since then, the Shamcocks have won four straight, three of them over ranked opponents. They punished Texas State (67-50) and Oklahoma State (101-60), two teams in the top 10. And by dismantling the Sooners on Jan. 19, South Carolina reached the century mark for the first time this season and likely played its best game of the entire 2024-25 season.
South Carolina remains No. 2 in ESPN’s women’s college basketball power rankings and looks strong heading into what could be two of the SEC’s toughest tests. South Carolina hosts LSU on Friday (ESPN, 5 p.m. ET) and travels to Tennessee on Monday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET).
Coach Dawn Staley said Watkins brings a great presence in shot blocking, defense, rebounding, scoring and competitiveness. But then Staley talked about how the remaining Siamcocks made the most of the extra playing time with Watkins out.
“Yes, it’s a shame that Ash and her aren’t with us,” Staley said. “But do we have the utmost confidence in those left behind? Absolutely.”
Editor’s picks
2 Related
That includes freshman star Joyce Edwards, South Carolina’s top scorer with 12.1 points per game despite coming off the bench. Edwards is a 6-foot-3 post player who glides up and down the court and shoots 56.6 percent from the field. Against the Sooners, he scored 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting.
“Joyce’s work ethic is unparalleled,” Staley said. “That’s on the limit. She’s just driven by cars and only knows one way. I didn’t want her to come to the gym too much, but that’s just her personality. It is.”
Milesia Fulwily (11.2, 2.9), who had 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists against the Sooners, is also a reserve guard, but is a player to watch starting her freshman season in 2023-24.
“I like to play well because it motivates me to play better,” Fulwilly said. “As a team, we never pout when we don’t play well. I think the love we have for each other will get us through this week’s tough games.”
The Shamcox depth is still at a championship level even without Watkins. While that depth may cost the Gamecocks major individual awards, Staley said they are open to trade-offs for the sake of team success.
“We’ll be sacrificing the SEC Player of the Week to have some national player of the year candidates, maybe All-American (honors),” Staley said. “But this team really just sticks to the ultimate goal of winning and achieving that for each other. (We’re) doing things that promote great basketball. We want to be a great product.”
Previous ranking: 1
The Bruins, who were playing at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach due to wildfires in the Los Angeles area, were slightly pushed back by Penn State before coming away with an 83-67 victory on Jan. 15. UCLA then dominated non-conference opponent Baylor, 72-57, falling behind by 24 points. Center Lauren Betts had nine rebounds and nine blocks on Monday at the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey. UCLA and LSU are the only remaining undefeated teams in Division I.
Next 7 days: @Rutgers (Jan. 23), @Maryland (Jan. 26)
Previous ranking: 2
In addition to last week’s win over Oklahoma State, the Shamcocks also defeated another ranked team, Alabama State. Now they face two more ranked opponents in the Tigers and Lady volumes. Thursday is one of the most anticipated games of the SEC season, tied with the last two teams to win the NCAA title, South Carolina in 2022 and 2024 and LSU in 2023.
Next 7 days: vs. LSU (1/24), @ Tennessee (1/27)
South Carolina forward Sania Feagin is averaging 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds this season. AP Photo/Nell Redmond
Previous ranking: 3
The Irish had guard Hannah Hidalgo back against the Mustangs and defeated Georgia Tech by 15 points and SMU by 24 points. She missed the past two games due to an ankle injury. The University of Notre Dame soccer team fell just short of a national championship Monday, but the Irish remain one of the top favorites in women’s basketball.
Next 7 days: @ Boston University (January 23)
Previous ranking: 4
The Trojans were tested Sunday in Indiana, but they led 22-16 in the fourth quarter and won 73-66. JuJu Watkins (22 points) led USC in scoring in all but one game this season.
Next 7 days: @ Purdue (January 22)
Previous ranking: 5
The Tigers remained perfect with a 17-point win over Florida on Sunday. They’ve been able to overcome all the odds this season, but will that all end on Thursday? LSU has lost 16 straight games to South Carolina since the 2012 season. LSU let their lower-ranked opponents play with them a little too much during the game. We can’t afford a late rally against the Siamcocks. Because it probably won’t happen.
Next 7 days: @ South Carolina (January 24), vs. Texas A&M (January 26)
Previous ranking: 6
Paige Bueckers returned to the court last week from a knee sprain and scored 12 points in a win over St. John’s and had 18 points and seven assists in a 60-point rout of Seton Hall. Buccaneer reached the 2,000-point milestone in his 102nd game with the Huskies against the Pirates. This is a program record for fewest games to reach 2,000 points at UConn.
Next 7 days: vs. Villanova (1/22), @ Creighton (1/25)
Previous ranking: 7
The Longhorns defeated Auburn 74-57 last week, setting up an exciting non-conference match-up against Maryland in Monday’s Coretta Scott King Classic. However, the injury-plagued Terps were unable to catch up with the Longhorns and lost 89-51.
Next 7 days: vs. Tennessee (Jan. 23), vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 26)
Previous ranking: 10
TCU won its 10th straight game last week, 81-73, against Utah and is tied for first place in the Big 12 with Kansas State at 7-0. The Horned Frogs will have to be wary heading into a trip to Oklahoma State, which was ranked before being upset by Houston last week. TCU’s next game against Baylor could also challenge the Frogs.
Next 7 days: @ Oklahoma State (January 22) vs. Baylor (January 26)
Previous ranking: 12
The Wildcats are one of three undefeated teams in the SEC, along with South Carolina and LSU. The two will face off on Thursday. Kentucky won’t play either team until the end of the regular season. The Wildcats had a 14-point win over Georgia on Sunday, with post player Clara Strzok scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Next 7 days: @ Texas A&M (January 23), vs. Arkansas (January 26)
Previous ranking: 11
The Wildcats defeated Arizona State and Arizona State last week and are tied with TCU for the top spot in the Big 12 at 7-0. However, some very bad news has arrived. Star center Ayoka Lee is out indefinitely with a broken foot. Kansas State remains hopeful that Lee, who is in his final year of eligibility after dealing with several injuries during his collegiate career, can return near the end of this season. This is a big blow for K-State, as Lee leads the Wildcats in points, rebounds and blocks.
Next 7 Days: Next 7 Days: @ Colorado (January 25)
Previous ranking: 8
Speaking of nasty injuries, the Terps lost Bree McDaniel for the season to an ACL injury this week, and another veteran, Shan’ann Sellers, was sidelined with an injury in Monday’s game against Texas. Seller’s return is uncertain at this time. None of that was what Maryland needed heading into two very difficult games.
Next 7 days: @ Ohio State (January 23), vs. No. 1 UCLA (January 26)
Previous ranking: 9
In last week’s power rankings, we wondered how long the Buckeyes could remain undefeated. Turns out it wasn’t long. After Thursday’s win at Wisconsin, the Buckeyes entered Sunday’s game against Penn State without injured freshman Jaloni Cambridge. The Nittany Lions defeated the Buckeyes 62-59. Let’s see how Ohio State responds to this this week.
Next 7 days: vs. Maryland (Jan. 23), @Nebraska (Jan. 26)
Previous ranking: 14
The Tar Heels are having a quiet successful season, with wins at SMU and Pittsburgh. Guard Lexi Donarski contributed to the team’s scoring with 15 points in both games.
Next 7 days: vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 23), vs. Florida State (Jan. 26)
Previous ranking: 16
The Blue Devils needed two strong wins last week, and got them by dominating ACC newcomers California (34 points) and Stanford (25 points). Duke remains tied for second place in the ACC with North Carolina State.
Get exclusive access to thousands of premium articles a year from top writers. • CFP: Could OSU be set to win again? » • Who’s No. 1? Ranking the NBA’s top rookies » • 5 reasons why Premier’s ‘big six’ era is over » More ESPN+ content »
The Sooners had a painful “Welcome to the SEC” moment by having to play South Carolina when the Shamcocks were really hitting their stride. The bright spot in Oklahoma’s 41-point loss was the play of Regan Beers, who injured his shoulder in the Jan. 12 game. She returned last week for Oklahoma’s 80-63 win over Missouri, but had an even better performance against the Gamecocks with 23 points and eight rebounds. The Sooners have to put this loss behind them and move on.
Next 7 days: vs. Georgia (January 26)
Previous ranking: 15
Tennessee has been in a bit of a slump, losing three of its last five games. The Lady Vols defeated Mississippi State, but lost in the final blow to in-state rival Vanderbilt University. The Longhorns and Gamecocks come next, and the Lady Vols are tested.
Next 7 days: @ Texas (Jan. 23) vs. South Carolina (Jan. 27)
Welcome to Men’s Reporter, your ultimate destination for all things men! Our mission is to empower and inspire men by delivering fresh, engaging, and informative content tailored to your interests and lifestyle.