'You're going to believe that there's a God': How USC thinks it can take down UConn
Less than two months ago, Connecticut came to Colonial Life Arena and thrashed South Carolina women's basketball in front of 18,000 fans, 83-58. It was a thorough, dominant effort by the top-ranked Huskies, who led the Gamecocks for more than 38 minutes.
So now, seven weeks removed from that game, what gives No. 2 seed USC confidence that it can reverse that result against UConn in the Elite Eight in Albany, New York, deep in hostile territory?
"I was walking out after scouting UConn yesterday, and I guess a UConn fan, he started yelling at me like, 'You're next on Monday,' giving me the thumbs up," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said Sunday. "So I turned around and gave him the thumbs up. I don't know why this came to me but it came to me, I said, 'On Monday night, you're going to believe that there's a God.' And that's what we're going with."
Divine intervention, however, is not all that's in the Gamecocks' gameplan. Both teams took care to point out Sunday that a lot can change from February to March, and senior forward A'ja Wilson emphasized the importance of intangibles such as the growth of younger players and increased confidence that came from winning the SEC tournament.
"I think we have a lot more contributions from everyone. I think a lot of people's confidence has really increased and just the growth of this team has gotten a lot better than February," Wilson said.
"We proved at their place that we are really, really good. The problem with where we are and where this tournament is, is you have to prove it again," Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said.
The changes from last time aren't all intangible, though. The Gamecocks have some strategic adjustments they want to make as well.
"I feel like last game we didn't utilize our post presence, and coming off a game like yesterday against Buffalo, we have the confidence now going forward, and that can be another key to get the win," redshirt junior forward Alexis Jennings said.
The post is one area where USC has a distinct advantage over UConn — none of the Huskies' starters stand taller than 6-foot-3, and their frontcourt players stand 6-foot-1 and 5-foot-11. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks have been working three forwards, all taller than 6-feet, into their lineup since the SEC tournament, and Staley confirmed Sunday that they will continue to do so.
"We're going to continue to pound it in. It's been extremely productive for us all year long, and you go where the numbers say to go, and it points to going inside," Staley said.
The potential downside of playing three post players is the increased likelihood of turnovers, an area that has nagged South Carolina since the beginning of February and throughout March, during which the team has given up possession at least 10 times every game, including a 26-turnover performance against Buffalo in the Sweet 16.
The only way USC can combat that problem, Staley said, is to slow down and not be "over-zealous" in attacking passing lanes. Otherwise, "we'll get ran out of the gym," she said.
"For me, just making sure passes, knowing where I'm going to go with the ball before I pick it up and looking out on the whole court before I make a decision," freshman guard Bianca Jackson said of how she'll attempt to slow things down.
Staley is also counting on her team's and her own familiarity with Auriemma and the Huskies, whom they have played four times since 2015.
"I think our players are very aware of the style of play and what UConn does best. ... You can't just play one game and think you're going to have success, you have to have the experience of playing them in a lot of different ways, at home, away at their place and playing on a neutral site, something that we haven't done, so hopefully this is the trick," Staley said.
And the idea of playing an undefeated team in a high-stakes environment is not exactly unfamiliar to South Carolina — the Gamecocks took down Mississippi State in the SEC championship to spoil its perfect record, and they did so, Staley said, by putting the Bulldogs in a position they weren't used to: in a close game.
That being said, Connecticut has plenty of motivation to stay aggressive: After a shocking Final Four loss last year, Auriemma joked Friday that if the Huskies lost on Monday, they wouldn't be allowed in the state of Connecticut and he would have to move homes.
"I think they're probably more hungry than they've ever been because they didn't win a national championship last year," Staley said. "But that also puts them in an situation that is unfamiliar to them because they're used to being the defending national champions. You have to keep the game close and hopefully something else kicks where they're not as sharp as they normally are."
Still, the odds are stacked against USC. Every ESPN expert picked the Gamecocks to lose, and FiveThirtyEight's projections give UConn a 96 percent chance of winning. And that's exactly what South Carolina wants.
"I like being the underdog because I like proving people wrong, so we just gotta stay within us and stay focused and locked in," sophomore guard Tyasha Harris said.
Elite Eight
Who: No. 2 seed South Carolina (29-6, 12-4 SEC) vs. No. 1 seed Connecticut (35-0, 16-0 American)
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Where: Times Union Center, Albany, New York
TV:ESPN
Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia, Gamecock IMG Radio Network everywhere else
This story was originally published March 25, 2018 at 4:44 PM with the headline "'You're going to believe that there's a God': How USC thinks it can take down UConn."