South Carolina Gamecocks Prepare for Elite Eight Showdown Against Duke

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao is calling on her teammates to exhibit greater toughness in their Elite Eight matchup against Duke this Sunday. The Gamecocks have faced challenges in their previous NCAA tournament games, particularly struggling in the first half with shot selection and intensity.

“I feel like we’ve had some problems with that this season — playing with toughness,” Paopao said during a media session on Saturday. “We’ve got to start the game with toughness. I feel like when the other team punches first and plays with toughness first, we tend to not be able to play with toughness until later in the second half or when it’s too late.”

Paopao emphasized the importance of coming out strong against Duke, stating, “We’ve got to come out punching first, playing with toughness first, and asserting our dominance in the first few minutes of the game.”

After South Carolina’s game against Maryland, coach Dawn Staley pointed to the need for improved shot selection, which has been a concern for the Gamecocks. “We need to focus on not rushing shots early in the shot clock, securing layups, and ensuring better ball rotation for rebounds,” Staley mentioned.

During their recent tournament run, South Carolina faced aggressive defenses from teams like Indiana and Maryland, both of which managed to maintain leads at halftime. Maryland even led late in the game against the Gamecocks before South Carolina ultimately prevailed.

“Maryland gave a pretty good blueprint on how to beat South Carolina for the teams moving forward,” said Maryland coach Brenda Frese.

However, South Carolina forward Raven Johnson took issue with that assessment, responding, “I don’t know if I would say blueprint because they lost…At the end of the day, we won.”

The Gamecocks are aiming to secure consecutive national championships, a first in the program’s history, following their loss in the national semifinals last year. South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson reflected on the pressure of being the top-ranked team early this season, saying, “Teams don’t care we’re South Carolina. They want to beat us.”

Staley believes her team’s experience will give them a competitive edge against Duke, a program making its first Elite Eight appearance since 2013. “There’s a space where you’ve been here before, and the nerves are put to the side,” Staley said. “Hopefully, we will be able to tap into that.”

Meanwhile, Paopao is also anticipating her future in the WNBA, although her primary focus remains on the tournament. She expressed appreciation for the support of Staley, a WNBA veteran. “I’m just very blessed and fortunate to be in this position,” Paopao noted.

The Gamecocks are set to take the court against the Longhorns Friday night at 7 p.m. EST, looking to continue their pursuit of championship glory.