South Carolina vs. Texas women’s basketball: Three things to watch

The South Carolina women’s basketball team (17-1, 4-0) will play Texas (18-1, 3-1) for the second time this season on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN2) in Columbia, South Carolina.

The No. 2 Gamecocks and No. 4 Longhorns know each other well. It will be the sixth time they’ve played since last January. They played twice in the 2024-25 regular season and met in the SEC Championship and Final Four. Then, they faced off at the Player’s Era tournament in Las Vegas in November.

Coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina won three of those five meetings, including the two that mattered the most: for the SEC crown and the national semifinal. Coach Vic Schaefer’s Longhorns were the most recent victors, defeating the Gamecocks behind 19 points from Jordan Lee on Thanksgiving.

USA TODAY Sports staffers Meghan Hall, Cydney Henderson and Mitchell Northam break down the matchup:

South Carolina has won 10 straight since losing to Texas in November. What’s different about the Gamecocks now?

Hall: The Gamecocks have five players averaging double-figure scoring that anchor their fifth-ranked offense (89.7 points per game), including center Madina Okot, who has become a critical glue player. Okot often helps dictate South Carolina’s interior presence and overall rim protection. She’s currently in a three-way tie with Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers and Murray State’s Sharnecce Currie-Jelks for the most double-doubles in the country (13) and has nine games with 10 points or more since the Gamecock’s November matchup with Texas, including 23 points and 13 rebounds vs. then-ranked No. 22 Louisville. If the Gamecocks need a critical basket or timely play, they count on Okot to answer the call. 

Henderson: The seat belt gang lives on at South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ 10-game win streak has been spurred by their defense. South Carolina ranks third in the nation in opponent field goal percentage (31.9%), fourth in blocks per game (6.8) and 13th in points allowed (53.6 per game). The Gamecocks have struggled with injuries and availability early on — they’ve only had their full squad available for six games this season — but should have a full roster against Texas, including senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who’s missed several games with a sprained ankle. The Florida State transfer is averaging 16.3 points and a career-best 50.9% field-goal percentage. 

Northam: Raven Johnson has always been an incredibly talented guard, but it feels like she’s grown more comfortable this season in asserting herself as a scorer. In previous seasons, Johnson could dictate the flow of the game with her passing and ball handling, allowing South Carolina’s other weapons to score most of the points. But this season, the Gamecocks need her to get buckets too. Since scoring seven points against Texas, Johnson has netted double-figure scoring totals in eight of her last 10 games. She’s averaging a career-best 10.2 points per game. A few crucial baskets from Johnson could be the difference against Texas.

Texas is looking for a bounce-back victory after falling to LSU. Who will be the X-factor for the Longhorns?

Hall: It has to be Texas guard Rori Harmon, who was benched in the fourth quarter during the Longhorns’ loss to LSU. She was 1-of-7 from the field during the game. That cannot happen in back-to-back matchups, let alone during SEC play against No. 2 South Carolina. Harmon didn’t have a great shooting day when these two teams played on Nov. 27, but she did have the game-winning basket and nine assists. If her shot isn’t falling, she’s got to find other ways to contribute.

Henderson: Jordan Lee finished with a team-high 19 points in Texas’ first meeting against South Carolina in November and the Longhorns will need similar production, especially if South Carolina zeros in defensively on Madison Booker and Rori Harmon. Lee has reached double-digit points in 16 of 19 games this season, including a career-high 23 points against Missouri on Jan. 1. She’s averaging a career-best 14.8 points this season, nearly a 10-point jump from her freshman campaign. Lee went 1-of-6 from the 3-point line in Texas’ first matchup against South Carolina, the only person on her team to attempt a shot from beyond the arc. If she can get going from long distance, look out. 

Northam: In the first meeting with South Carolina, Texas center Kyla Oldacre tallied four points and seven rebounds. Recently, she’s played a lot better, notching double-doubles in back-to-back games, including a performance where she scored 23 points in 20 minutes against Auburn. These games between the Gamecocks and the Longhorns are often decided in the paint, and Oldacre having a great outing could be what gets Texas its second straight win in the series.

What else are you watching for in this game? What’s going to be the key to a victory?

Hall: Texas is hard to beat when forward Madison Booker and Rori Harmon get their two-person game going early. Booker also anchors the Longhorns defensively; I’d like to see her cause disruption early and get her teammates involved. For South Carolina, it has to be utilizing defensive pressure to dictate how fast the team wants to play in transition. The Gamecocks excel at forcing turnovers and turning it into quick points on the other end.

Henderson: Texas must limit their turnovers if they want to avoid a second consecutive loss. The Longhorns surrendered a season-high 17 turnovers against LSU — Madison Booker had six — which led to 14 points for the Tigers. The sloppiness was uncharacteristic for Texas, which has the highest turnover margin in the nation (13.79) and records the second-fewest turnovers in the country (10.5 per game). The Longhorns must avoid self-inflicted wounds against South Carolina’s stout defense. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks need to find production from its bench. South Carolina’s bench was limited to two points in their loss to Texas on Nov. 27.

Northam: These two teams combined for 3-of-13 shooting from 3-point land in the first meeting. While strong interior play has led the Gamecocks and Longhorns to a lot of victories, if someone gets hot from behind the arc, it could determine who wins. Jordan Lee of Texas is shooting 38% from deep in her last five games, while Tessa Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson are both making north of 40% of their 3-pointers on the season.

What other clash will you have an eye on Thursday?

Hall: The No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats are currently without starter Teonni Key, due to an elbow injury. The Wildcats dropped a game against unranked Alabama, 64-51, and then won a Jan. 11 matchup to beat No. 12 Oklahoma, 63-57. Kentucky’s up-and-down play bears watching as they host guard Liv McGill, fifth in scoring in the nation (23.4 points a game), and the Florida Gators.

Henderson: I also have my eyes on the SEC matchup between No. 6 LSU and No. 12 Oklahoma. The Sooners are looking to bounce back from back-to-back conference losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky. LSU has been there and done that. The Tigers dropped two consecutive SEC matchups to Kentucky and Vanderbilt, before getting back in the win column with wins against Georgia and an undefeated Texas team. Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk said Sunday’s matchup against LSU will be a “fork in the road”  and called out her team’s “energy, toughness and togetherness.” That approach worked for Kim Mulkey. It remains to be seen if Baranczyk’s rallying cry will work for Oklahoma.

Northam: Louisville is going for its 10th consecutive win when it travels to South Bend to face Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the Irish are coming off an impressive double-digit home victory over North Carolina. A win for Hannah Hidalgo and her squad could signal Notre Dame is indeed a contender for the ACC title. A road victory for Louisville would solidify their place atop the conference standings.

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