As 2024 ticks down, let’s take a look back at the Gamecocks’ ten best moments of 2024.
10. South Carolina routs UConnJust a few seasons ago, this would have been the high point of the year. That’s how far South Carolina has come. Now, an 83-65 win over the Huskies is just another blowout in an undefeated season.
9. Fulwiley lights up LSU and the benches clearLSU had no answer for MiLaysia Fulwiley, who scored 24 points and was named tournament MVP in the 79-72 win. Frustrations boiled over after Fulwiley stole the ball from Flau’jae Johnson. Shoving ensued and the benches cleared, leading to multiple ejections.
8. Ashlyn Watkins dunks on KentuckyWatkins punctuated a 98-36 rout of the Wildcats with her first SEC dunk. She stole the ball near midcourt and cruised in for the dunk. Kentucky was criticized for not trying harder to chase Watkins down (this matters later in the list).
7. South Carolina shuts down Iowa StateComing off its first loss in 43 games, South Carolina bounced back with one of the most dominant defensive performances of the last decade. Iowa State came in ranked #15 with one of the nation’s best offenses, boasting elite scorers and the national leader in assists. They managed just 36 points on 23% shooting, the worst offensive output by a top-15 team in over eight years. With one game, South Carolina reestablished itself as a national title favorite.
6. Big Shot Breezy downs LSUThis was the game of the year in the SEC and LSU had led most of the game. But Bree Hall lived up to her nickname and hit back-to-back go-ahead threes to pull out the dramatic win and crush the Tigers’ hearts again.
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5. Fulwiley and the Gamecocks get revenge on North CarolinaThe Tar Heels gave the Gamecocks all they could handle in a physical early-season battle in Chapel Hill where Dawn Staley infamously benched Fulwiley. Message received. Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson sparked a 30-2 run that ended North Carolina’s season before halftime. Fulwilye finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and three blocks as the Gamecocks tortured North Carolina’s Deja Kelly, who they felt made some dirty plays in the first meeting. Fulwiley denied she took the game personally so I asked Watkins if she thought Fulwiley took it personally, and she said, “Oh, yeah.”
4. Watkins dunks on Sedona PrinceWatkins stole the ball in the backcourt and as soon as she got control of the dribble, everyone could tell she was setting up the dunk. Unlike Kentucky, TCU’s 6-7 Prince, the nation’s leading shot-blocker, chased Watkins down and even caught up to her. It wasn’t enough and Watkins finished off the emphatic stuff.
3. Tournament TessaAfter a slow start to her freshman campaign, Tessa Johnson had quietly become a key reserve late in the season. But she didn’t really make a name for herself until the postseason. It began when she blocked her first career shot to bail out the Gamecocks in a sluggish quarterfinal game against Texas A&M. It was just the beginning. She torched North Carolina and hit a game-clinching shot against Oregon State. Then she saved her best for last, scoring a career-high 19 points in the national championship
2. Kamilla’s threeIt was the closest South Carolina came to losing a game. The Gamecocks trailed 73-71 with 1.1 seconds left after the Lady Vols missed two free throws and then intentionally fouled. Tennessee left Kamilla Cardoso unguarded at the top of the key, Dawn Staley screamed “Shoot it!” and Cardoso banked in her first three-pointer as time expired.
1. Raven’s revengeIt was the Revenge Tour encapsulated in one play. As Caitlin Clark casually dribbled down the clock at the end of the first half, Raven Johnson sized up the situation. She swiped the ball away from Clark and cruised the other way for a layup. With the basket, South Carolina had erased a double-digit deficit to take a three-point lead into halftime. The Gamecocks controlled the second half to finish Johnson’s Revenge Tour with an undefeated national championship.
