The No. 6 South Carolina women's basketball team defeated No. 10 Notre Dame 100-71 Monday afternoon in the first-ever NCAA regular season game to be played in Paris, France.
South Carolina took some time to get going, as the team found itself down 25-24 after the first period. However, in the second quarter, the Gamecocks outscored the Fighting Irish 24-8 to take a 48-33 lead into the break. It was a lead the Gamecocks would not let go of for the rest of the game.
"It's one game won, but it was a game in which our team showed a lot character on both sides of the basketball," head coach Dawn Staley said.
South Carolina passed the ball around a lot, earning 29 assists on 43 field goals. Staley said this was part of the team's ongoing efforts to start the season off right by playing for each other.
"I hope people saw that we shared the basketball," Staley said. "I hope people saw that we get out and we play fast. And I hope people saw that we can execute on the half court. And I hope people saw we were able to defend and rotate and communicate out there on the floor."
Key Takeaways
One of the major takeaways from the game is that this year's South Carolina team is the same but different in many ways compared to last year's team.
The Gamecocks showcased its dominance in the paint, one of the team's strongest defensive areas last season, against the Fighting Irish. South Carolina averaged 49.5 rebounds per game during the 2022-23 season and nearly matched that number with posting 47 rebounds against Notre Dame.
The main difference in this year's team is its offensive firepower. After averaging 80.3 points per game last year, South Carolina scored 100 points against the Fighting Irish, a single-game scoring mark that it only surpassed twice last year and only against unranked opponents.
"I really couldn't foresee it, and maybe I'm too close to the situation to see it," Staley said. "They've really worked extremely hard for each other."
Senior center Kamilla Cardoso, who is expected to fill much of the role previously held by Aliyah Boston before her departure to the WNBA, stood out for the Gamecocks. With a spot in the starting lineup, Cardoso netted a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
Boston holds the program record for double-doubles, and Staley said Cardoso getting one in her first start is a good sign going forward for South Carolina.
"I'm proud of Kamilla because Kamilla has worked for this," Staley said. "If she doesn't come out and perform the way that she did, she might think that the work that she put in, the practice time she put in, aren't worth it."
The third takeaway was the collegiate debut of freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley. Coming into the season, Staley said Fulwiley was a "generational talent," and Fulwiley started strong in living up to that statement by showing elite skills throughout her debut game.
Fulwiley scored 17 points and made a highlight reel play in the second quarter, dribbling the length of the court and making moves around three Fighting Irish defenders for a layup that caught the attention of NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
"That comes with a lot of practice," Fulwiley said. "I do that move a lot in practice, so then in game time, it felt normal."
What's Next?
The Gamecocks (1-0) will return to the United States for its second-straight top 25 matchup when it plays the No. 14 Maryland Terrapins at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m., and the game will be available to stream on ABC.