SEC coaches, media pick Gamecocks to win another conference title
The women’s basketball coaches and media observers of the SEC have spoken, and they remember what South Carolina did last year and know what it returns this season.
Coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks topped the SEC preseason coaches poll released Tuesday and the media preseason poll released Friday. Both groups have now picked USC to win the conference five times in the last seven years.
South Carolina romped through conference play last year, going a perfect 16-0 in the regular season to finish first in the league, then sweeping through the SEC tournament with three more wins to claim that title as well.
The Gamecocks return three starters and every key reserve from that squad, including All-American forward Aliyah Boston. They lose departed seniors Tyasha Harris and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, but add transfer Destiny Littleton, who sat out last season under NCAA rules, and five-star freshman Eniya Russell.
South Carolina was already ranked No. 1 in the country in the Associated Press and coaches preseason poll. The Gamecocks will be going for their sixth SEC regular season crown since 2013-14 — since that first title, they have never finished outside the top two in the conference.
Boston continued her streak of preseason honors, picking up preseason All-SEC first team honors from both the coaches and the media. She has already been named a preseason All-American by the AP and placed on the watch list for two national player of the year awards.
One of her main competitors for that national honor will likely be Kentucky guard/forward Rhyne Howard, who was picked by the SEC coaches and media as preseason conference player of the year. Boston did pick up some votes for conference player of the year from the media.
USC guard Zia Cooke was voted to the coaches’ preseason All-SEC second team — she was named to the league’s All-Freshman team last season after averaging 12.1 points per game and shooting 36.7% from 3-point territory.
Both Boston and Cooke were also named to the 50-player Naismith Trophy watch list Tuesday. The Naismith Trophy is given to the national player of the year. That continues a run of awards consideration for the two — Boston was also named to the watch list for the Lisa Leslie Award, given to the nation’s best center, while Cooke was on the watch list for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, given to the best shooting guard in the country.
2021 Coaches SEC Preseason Poll
1. South Carolina
2. Kentucky
3. Texas A&M
4. Arkansas
5. Mississippi State
6. Tennessee
7. LSU
8. Alabama
9. Georgia
10. Missouri
11. Ole Miss
12. Florida
13. Vanderbilt
14. Auburn
2021 Coaches Preseason Player of the Year
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
2021 Coaches Preseason All-SEC First Team
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Khayla Pointer, LSU
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
N’dea Jones, Texas A&M
2021 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Jasmine Walker, Alabama
Destiny Slocumb, Arkansas
Lavendar Briggs, Florida
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
Aijha Blackwell, Missouri
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Kayla Wells, Texas A&M
2021 Media SEC Preseason Poll
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Kentucky
4. Texas A&M
5. Arkansas
6. Tennessee
7. LSU
8. Georgia
9. Alabama
10. Florida
11. Missouri
12. Vanderbilt
13. Auburn
14. Ole Miss
2021 Media Preseason Player of the Year
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
2021 Media Preseason All-SEC
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
N’dea Jones, Texas A&M
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 11:32 AM.
