Extra time between games is ‘crucial’ for health of Gamecocks before LSU matchup
The injury bug has been biting South Carolina women’s basketball all season long. So much so that only two Gamecocks — Raven Johnson and Joyce Edwards — have played in all 26 of South Carolina’s games this year.
Agot Makeer, Ta’Niya Latson, Maddy McDaniel, Tessa Johnson, Madina Okot and Adhel Tac have all missed time this season due to various reasons, including suspension, injury or illness.
Despite all that, Dawn Staley and the No. 3 Gamecocks enter one of the most important weeks of the season with a 24-2 (10-1 SEC) record and sit atop the SEC. They’ve gotten here with a next-player-up mentality, Latson said Sunday.
“I feel like the coaching staff, they tell us all the time, next man up, we have enough in the room at all times,” Latson said. “I feel like we all have each other’s back when somebody’s down. We have to pick up the slack and next man up, like I said. So, just staying together, building that chemistry and implementing what we did in practice into the game is crucial.”
Latson herself returned from injury Sunday to help South Carolina dominate No. 19 Tennessee at home. The star senior guard scored 21 points while donning a brace on her knee after missing the last two games with a lower leg injury.
South Carolina dealt Tennessee its worst loss in program history on Sunday when it beat the Lady Vols 93-50. The Gamecocks did so while playing eight of their nine available players.
South Carolina did get Tessa Johnson, who missed part of the Gamecocks’ prior matchup with Mississippi State, back for the Tennessee game but was still down Makeer and McDaniel. Johnson scored 14 points.
Playing a Top 25 opponent at home short-handed isn’t necessarily ideal for any team. It especially isn’t ideal when you’re going up against your third opponent of the week — and a team known for its fast-paced offense and constant full court press on defense.
Regardless, Staley and the Gamecocks go into practice and prep for games with whoever they’ve got available.
“We don’t speak about the injured,” Staley said. “...We don’t ‘if this happens,’ or ‘if she could play,’ or ‘if that player could play.’ Quite frankly, we consider them dead. We do. It’s not part of the game plan.
“They’re unhealthy, so we just go with who is available. That’s the mentality that we need to have, because we don’t need to sulk on who’s not here and what could happen. Whoever’s available, it’s the next woman up, and that’s the way we practice. If we’ve got eight, if we’ve got nine, that’s the way we practice. It may be shorter practices, but that’s the way we handle it.”
Makeer has been absent since leaving in the first quarter of South Carolina’s game vs Auburn on Jan. 29. She has a lower leg injury, but seems to be ramping up for a potential return. Makeer was dressed out for some of South Carolina’s pregame warmups on Sunday.
McDaniel’s addition to the injury report was a relative surprise. She was added to the final SEC injury report two hours before tip off on Sunday. McDaniel was wearing a boot on her left foot while sitting on the bench.
“No update on Maddy,” Staley said. “I just knew she wasn’t playing today. She’ll be evaluated every day. It’s good that we have somewhat of a bye week. Maddy wants to play. I know that. So when you have the mindset of wanting to play, it helps the body heal a little bit quicker.”
South Carolina does have a chance to get everyone back healthy before its next matchup with a ranked LSU team.
The Gamecocks won’t play a midweek SEC game like they typically do on Thursday, so they’ll have a bit extra time to get everyone healthy before playing in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
South Carolina has proven it's capable of beating top teams this year without its full roster handy, but it wouldn’t hurt to go into a heated rivalry game with as many healthy bodies as possible.
“It’s very crucial,” Latson said of the extra time between games. “We got to get in the treatment room with (athletic trainer Craig Oates and strength coach Molly Binetti), get recovery, take care of our bodies, get in the ice tubs, do everything that we need to be ready for LSU on Saturday.”
