No. 1 South Carolina WBB at No. 5 UCLA: How to watch, what to know
Dawn Staley and the No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball team will put their record-setting 43-game winning streak on the line when they travel Sunday to face No. 5 UCLA, their toughest opponent of the season thus far.
Here’s everything you need to know about the contest, including how to watch, top storylines and more:
South Carolina basketball game
Who: No. 1 South Carolina (4-0) at No. 5 UCLA (4-0)
When: Sunday, 4 p.m.
Where: Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California
What channel is it on?
The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (Krista Blunk, play-by-play; Elise Woodward, analyst). You can listen on the radio on 107.5 FM in the Columbia area, and on satellite radio on SiriusXM Ch. 84.
TOP STORYLINES FOR THE GAME
▪ Top 5 showdown
It’s the biggest game of the season thus far in all of women’s basketball, and the Gamecocks know that. Staley said there’s a bit of extra anticipation knowing the type of test in front of USC on Sunday.
“There’s a lot of focus, so they’re ready,” Staley said.
For the Gamecocks, it’s essential for them to have this type of challenge. Staley hinted that USC needs this level of opponent to wake her team up.
“They feel no pressure. They play too free, care-free,” Staley said. “You see this big target on our backs. You don’t have to play to the target, but there’s a certain level of focus that’s needed to go in and out of games.”
One of challenges for the Gamecocks will be finding a way to slow down the production of Bruins center Lauren Betts. She averages 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, while shooting an efficient 72.2% from the field.
“I’d imagine it’s just going to be a tough game for us all,” Staley said.
▪ Gotta play better
If the Gamecocks hope to keep their historic winning streak going, they’ll have to play better. While they have dominated the easier opponents on their schedule, Staley has lamented certain aspects of the game that could be exploited against tougher competition like UCLA.
One of the main examples of this is the Gamecocks’ inconsistencies down low. After USC’s blowout home win against East Carolina, Staley mentioned how the team misses being able to make layups at a high clip.
But even more than that, she just wants the Gamecocks’ offense to look better as a whole.
“I just want us to play a little bit more fluid offensively, more efficient,” Staley said. “We don’t take very good shots. We’ve got to take momentum shots — we are giving momentum away with the type of shots that we’re taking. It shouldn’t be that hard to score baskets.”
▪ Welcome home, Paopao
Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao returns close to home in southern California for this road game, just over an hour from her hometown of Oceanside, California.
This marks Paopao’s third career trip to UCLA but her first as a Gamecock. Previously with Oregon, she faced the Bruins twice on the road, going 0-2 in those games while averaging 5.5 points on 31.3% shooting.
She enters the game as USC’s leader in assists (3.6) and steals (1.4) per game. She’s also the Gamecocks’ second-leading scorer, pouring in 13.4 points per contest. She had her best scoring output as a Gamecock when she scored 23 points against then-No. 9 N.C. State, USC’s only other ranked opponent.
