Dawn Staley, South Carolina WBB to rekindle rivalry with UConn in 2026
South Carolina women’s basketball is just one game into the 2025-26 season but has already announced two games for its 2026-27 season.
The newest one is against a longtime rival.
On Monday the Gamecocks announced they will be returning to Paris in 2026 to play Maryland in the Oui Play event. On Wednesday, South Carolina announced it will play UConn in the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase.
The game will be played on Nov. 24, 2026, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Next year’s matchup marks the return of a game that had become a must-watch event in college basketball in recent years.
South Carolina is not playing UConn during the regular season this year, ending a streak of 11 straight regular seasons where the two teams played one another. The two perennial championship contenders could still play this year, but a matchup would have to come in the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina entered the 2024-25 season on a four-game winning streak against UConn, but they finished losing two straight. The Gamecocks lost to the Huskies and coach Geno Auriemma in Colonial Life Arena during the regular season and then again in the 2025 national championship game in Tampa.
The Gamecocks have played in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase before. In 2023, South Carolina beat No. 11 Utah 78-69 in that game.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 1:21 PM.
