South Carolina reasserting dominance since UCLA loss: Chloe Kitts' emergence lifting refocused Gamecocks

No. 3 South Carolina handed No. 9 TCU its first loss of the season with an 85-52 victory on Sunday, marking the Gamecocks' second win over a top-10 opponent in four days. If there is one thing to take away from the past few weeks, it's that losing to UCLA in November was the best thing that could have happened to the reigning national champions. 

Sunday saw a well-rounded performance from South Carolina as 10 different players scored while the team forced 20 TCU turnovers. Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley has had some ups and downs this season, but she led the way with 20 points on 8 of 15 from the field.

Dawn Staley's players had not faced many -- or in some cases any -- losses before falling 77-62 to UCLA on Nov. 24 because South Carolina had a perfect 2023-24 season. Losses are not a fun thing to experience, but the way the Gamecocks responded to theirs shows how promising they are.

Here is how South Carolina has bounced back and what makes the Gamecocks dangerous as the season progresses:

Defense continues to impress

It's a well-known fact that Staley's teams are strong on defense, and the Gamecocks have been reminding us of that since the UCLA game. They got revenge on Iowa State with a 76-36 blowout on Thanksgiving, and TCU also caught some strays. 

The Horned Frogs arrived to Sunday as one of the top offensive teams in the nation. They were top 20 in scoring (85.1 points per game), fourth in assists (21.6) and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.06). TCU had not had a single-digit scoring quarter this season, but the Gamecocks held them to nine points in the second and third quarters.

Against UCLA, South Carolina did a decent job making Lauren Betts struggle, but as Staley pointed out, her players "got killed by everybody else." Things were much different Sunday.

Hailey Van Lith carried TCU's offense with 21 points on 7 of 17 shooting, but none of her teammates reached double figures. Sedona Prince, who averages over 18 points per game as the Horned Frogs' second-leading scorer, only scored six points on three made field goals all night.

Patience is key to offense

The Gamecocks struggled to find rhythm against UCLA and were held to just 36.4% shooting from the field. When asked about what she has noticed from her team since then, Staley highlighted patience, particularly when it comes to creating offense.

"We are very, probably, patient offensively. We know what really works for us offensively," Staley said. "We know when we reverse the ball it increases our shooting percentage. It's unbelievable what it is, unbelievable. Even if we just get it back to the middle of the floor and go back to the same side. When we take bad shots, most teams make us pay for it."

As stated above, 10 of the 12 Gamecocks who checked into the game scored at least four points. Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson joined Fulwiley in the double-figure club with 11 points each. That was Johnson's highest scoring game of the season, and Staley said this week that she has potential to make the team a lot stronger.

"Ray is figuring it out. She really is, and we have patience for her growth," Staley said last week. "We have patience for her to keep defenses at bay. We want her to score, look for more scoring opportunities, and she's been doing that. She's been hitting a lot more shots, but I didn't fret when she was 0 for whatever. She was taking good shots and now those good shots have been finding their way in the basket, and it's making us a much more balanced basketball team."

Remaining focused still a priority 

Ahead of Sunday, Staley talked about how her team is still learning how to stay locked in all 40 minutes. That needed to be brought up because although South Carolina was off to one of its strongest starts of the season in its eventual 81-70 win over Duke, the Blue Devils mounted a comeback effort in the second half.

"For long stretches I thought we were focused on the gameplay, and then there were stretches where we fell off the wagon," Staley said of the Duke game. "We are just learning. They are really trying to concentrate on identifying those spaces in which we just aren't locked in because teams get back in the game or teams get into our lead. Or if we didn't have a lead, then we are digging ourselves bigger holes. Great learning opportunity."

The Gamecocks were a lot more consistent against TCU, and one of the best examples of staying level-headed came through the top highlight of the night. Ashlyn Watkins threw down a dunk in the first quarter, but what Staley might appreciate more from the film is what happened before she got up there: Watkins had a layup attempt blocked by Prince, but stayed engaged and made a steal shortly after to lead to her slam. 

MiLaysia Fulwiley showing maturation

Remember all the frustrated fan tweets about how Fulwiley should transfer after the UCLA loss? Turns out, Fulwiley is just fine.

Staley constantly describes Fulwiley as a generational talent and human highlight reel, but the coach has been emphasizing areas for her potential growth -- which Fulwiley seems to agree with.

"You just gotta be very disciplined," Fulwiley said after the TCU win. "I feel like me as a player, staying humble is a very good thing that I need to do. Don't get too high, don't get too low. I didn't have the best games the couple of past games. I just gotta keep telling myself that I have a whole season ahead of me. I gotta keep pushing."

Fulwiley went 1 for 7 against Duke but bounced back on Sunday. The sophomore was happy with her offense, but highlighted how she also wants to be known as a "great defender" and that a well-rounded performance "starts in practice." Fulwiley was guarding Van Lith and registered three steals and a block.

Chloe Kitts emerging as leader

Chloe Kitts' game against TCU was a quiet one offensively as she scored only four points while going 1 of 4 from the field, though she did grab a game-high 12 rebounds. She shined against No. 8 Duke on Wednesday, however, with 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds. 

Kitts was one of the players Staley said had taken the biggest jump this offseason, and she has proven it by being one of the top contributors for the Gamecocks early in the 2024-25 campaign. Ahead of the Duke matchup, Staley said Kitts had asked her if she didn't believe in her because she had been getting less minutes. 

The coach denied that claim, but pointed out that Kitts had been taken out for attempting bad shots. It might seem harsh, but Staley is tough on Kitts because she sees her as a leader. It worked because against Duke, Staley said Kitts' shot selection was significantly better.

"My expectation is for her to take better shots so she can set the example, because she can score," Staley said. "She can really score the basketball. I'm happy because Chloe pours into herself. She does all the right things... She wants to be a pro, so she's active in doing things and creating habits that will help her. I want basketball to repay her for that every time she steps on the floor."