NCAAW: No. 2 South Carolina can secure statement win over No. 5 Texas

Sunday, Jan. 12 could mark the start of the next, great SEC rivalry, when the No. 5 Texas Longhorns arrive in Columbia, SC to challenge the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks.

Or, it be a declaration of South Carolina dominance.

Since losing to the now-No. 1 UCLA Bruins, South Carolina has not been a team to be trifled with, taking care of opponents with the kind of authority characteristic of a Dawn Staley squad. The matchup against the Longhorns will test whether or not the Gamecocks have fully flipped a switch and are ready to romp through a rigorous SEC. Alternatively, Texas not only could show that there are cracks in South Carolina’s armor of excellence, but also establish themselves as a SEC power player.

The top-5 conference clash tips off at 1 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+. Here are the key considerations for both teams entering the game:

How will Watkins’ absence impact SC?

Raven Johnson, Ashlyn Watkins and Joyce Edwards.

Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images

South Carolina’s ambitions for all-time greatness took a hit this week, when the program announced that junior forward Ashlyn Watkins would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

Watkins came off the bench in all 14 games she played this season, averaging 7.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and almost two blocks in just under 19 minutes per contest. Those modest numbers, however, elide Watkins’ status an impact player. Arguably South Carolina’s most athletically-gifted player, evidenced by the dunk she threw down against TCU, she is a ceiling raiser for Staley, capable of changing the game not only through a momentum-swinging play like a slam dunk, but also by controlling the glass, making defensive plays or manufacturing extra possessions.

Because of the Gamecocks’ depth of talent, their baseline might not be significantly altered without Watkins, but their upside is lower without her. Unless, another player emerges. The prime candidate? Freshman forward Joyce Edwards.

Imagined for stardom as soon as she signed with her homestate team, Edwards has thus far compiled a solid debut season, averaging 11.3 points, 5.1 boards and 1.4 steals in almost 20 minutes per game. Can she earn extra minutes and, in turn, provide more production in Watkins’ absence?

South Carolina’s first post-Watkins game, a 90-49 rout of Texas A&M on Thursday, offered little indication of how Staley will manage minutes in a more competitive contest. Sunday’s game, when a high-level effort will be required to defeat Texas, should be more revealing. And it could be the perfect moment for Edwards to reveal herself to be the Gamecocks’ new ceiling raiser. As would have been the case with Watkins, the Longhorns don’t have anyone with the combination of size and athleticism to effectively corral Edwards. A breakout game that assures any anxious FAMs about South Carolina’s readiness to run through the SEC is in order.

Will Booker be the best player on the floor?

Yet, Texas does possess a player who has the potential to disrupt South Carolina’s dominant designs. It’s sophomore forward Madison Booker.

After an outstanding freshman season, Booker has not necessarily taken her game to another level this season. Rather, after missing time early in the season with a hamstring injury, she’s been part of, rather than the fulcrum of, a balanced Longhorn team.

Her raw numbers—15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists—are below last season’s averages, but she is playing almost five minutes fewer per game while scoring more efficiently from the field, including from behind the arc. But, winning big games requires big games from big players. And to have a chance of prevailing in Columbia, head coach Vic Schaefer might need Booker to unleash some Maddie B magic, where she’s getting to her spots and sinking jumpers upon jumpers that are smooth as glass. She had some of that going against No. 18 Alabama on Thursday, scoring 21 points on 80 percent shooting as the Horns trounced the Tide.

Certainly, Texas cannot afford a foul-troubled afternoon from Booker, as was the case when the Longhorns barely escaped against Oklahoma and Booker was limited to 18 minutes and eight points.

Senior guard Rori Harmon also needs to perform as a secondary star for the Longhorns by controlling the point of attack on both ends of the floor. When the Gamecocks dial up their defense, Harmon has to be the steady hand, keeping her turnovers around her excellent 1.8 per game average. Alternatively, as a player who averages 2.6 steals per game, she can heat up the ball and cause trouble for South Carolina’s guards, allowing Texas to be the team that turns defense into offense. By beating the Gamecocks in the possession game, the Longhorns likely can win the full game.