Dawn Staley and dynastic South Carolina are the reigning champions. Vic Schaefer and Texas are seeking their first national title since 1986. Sunday’s clash is filled with intrigue as the Longhorn’s top-ranked offense travels to the Gamecocks as slight underdogs on the road.
How to watch No. 5 Texas at No. 2 South Carolina
Location: Colonial Life Arena – Columbia, SC
Time: 1:00 PM ET Sunday
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (free trial)
Want to watch in person? Buy tickets on StubHub.
Texas has fluctuated between fourth and sixth place in the AP poll this season. No team in Division I puts more points on the board at the pace of All-American Madison Booker. The second forward has increased her efficiency, making only a few free throws that fall short of a 50/40/90 attempt. In Thursday’s demolition of No. 18 Alabama, Booker had 21 points on spectacular 8-for-10 shooting. She is able to initiate her own offense and emerge from behind the arc with a series of ball fakes and drive moves that immobilize opponents.
This team lives on the edge and along the foul line. And it consistently wins the turnover battle, coming in at +30 in three conference games on Sunday. Eight players are averaging at least one complete steal, and senior guard Rori Harmon is putting together another all-defense campaign with 2.6 takeaways per game. Elsewhere, sixth-year big Taylor Jones is third in the SEC in blocked shots, and junior Kyla Oldacre is pulling down nearly four offensive rebounds per game in less than 19 minutes of floor time.
The Longhorns are great on defense and are struggling overall, with their only loss coming in overtime at rock-solid Notre Dame. They are 3-1 against ranked teams, but South Carolina will be their most developed and all-encompassing challenge yet. The defending champions are riding a 10-game winning streak, with convincing double-digit victories over No. 8 Duke and No. 9 TCU.
Freshman Joyce Edwards is a bucket off the bench and leads the Gamecocks in scoring despite playing less than 20 minutes per game. And senior Te-Hina Paopao has a well-rounded game with a career shooting percentage of 40.8 percent and 3 points. Aside from the six-point win over Michigan on opening night, every South Carolina win this season has been a blow. The only loss came at UCLA, with Staley’s team unable to overcome a Bruins barrage in the first two periods.
In Thursday’s 41-point domination over Texas A&M, the Gamecocks’ offense fired at maximum power. This MiLaysia Fulwiley transition basket was fascinating:
Sabreena Merchants New Year’s resolution for South Carolina: “Go more lines. The Gamecocks have several positive offensive indicators: they take a ton of shots at the rim, dominate the offensive glass (resulting in nearly 10 more shot attempts per game than their opponents), and don’t turn the ball over. The only thing missing for South Carolina is a steady diet of free throws.
For Texas: “Put up 3s. The Longhorns have an elite defense, but it’s hard to take them seriously as champions in 2025 when they’ve made a total of 63 three-pointers in 17 games…Texas needs a little more variety on offense; Ideally, Shay Holle will work from a great distance, but the distance has to come from someone.
Texas vs. South Carolina Expectations
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas Longhorns, Women’s College Basketball, Sports Betting
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