Dawn Staley’s Strategy: Using 5 South Carolina Players Against Raegan Beers

Avery K. Bristow

ago 1 hour

South Carolina women’s basketball is gearing up for a crucial matchup against Oklahoma, with head coach Dawn Staley confident in her roster. The Gamecocks, ranked No. 2 nationally, will face the No. 16 Sooners in Norman on January 22, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Dawn Staley’s Strategy: Using 5 South Carolina Players Against Raegan Beers

Following a brief absence due to a nasal injury, reserve forward Adhel Tac is set to return for this pivotal game. Coach Staley confirmed on January 21 that Tac is in excellent form and the team is fully healthy, with a record of 19-1 and a perfect 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Injury Updates and Player Highlights

Adhel Tac: Missed the game against Coppin State on January 18, but is ready to contribute against Oklahoma.
Raegan Beers: Oklahoma’s 6-foot-4 center is crucial to their offense, averaging 16.7 points and 11.2 rebounds.
South Carolina Bench: Tac, along with Alicia Tournebize and Maryam Dauda, will provide depth to counter Beers.

In last season’s encounters between these teams, Beers scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a regular-season loss to the Gamecocks. In a subsequent SEC tournament loss, she recorded seven points and eight rebounds. Beers previously faced the Gamecocks while playing for Oregon State, where she had a notable performance with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Game Strategy Against Beers

Staley plans to utilize a variety of players to challenge Beers. This strategy is significant, as Staley mentioned, “Five of them will play at some point, five of them will be needed.” The Gamecocks boast a formidable lineup, including:

Madina Okot: 6-6 center
Joyce Edwards: 6-3 forward
Adhel Tac: 6-5 forward/center, averaging 3.1 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Alicia Tournebize: 6-7 forward, recently scoring eight points in her last outing.
Maryam Dauda: 6-4 forward with a strong performance last March against Beers, including five points and three steals.

Dauda’s role will be crucial again, as she is averaging 2.7 points and 3.8 rebounds this season. Staley’s plan focuses on efficiently presenting different defensive looks to disrupt Beers’ game.

As the Gamecocks head into this matchup, all eyes will be on both teams’ performance and the strategic use of South Carolina’s versatile players to secure a victory against Oklahoma.