Andrea AdelsonMar 29, 2025, 01:10 PM ET
Shut
- ACC reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
- Graduate of the College of Florida.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao delivered a message to her teammates ahead of their Elite 8 sport in opposition to Duke on Sunday: Play with extra toughness.
In its previous two NCAA event video games in opposition to Indiana and Maryland, South Carolina struggled within the first part with deficient shot variety, however Paopao believes the Gamecocks additionally had a troublesome time atmosphere the tone.
She mentioned that will have to exchange for them to advance to the Ultimate 4.
“I believe like we have had some issues of that this season — enjoying with toughness,” Paopao mentioned Saturday. “Now we have were given to start out the sport with toughness. I believe like when the [other] group punches first and performs with toughness first, we generally tend not to have the ability to play with toughness till later in the second one part or when it is too overdue.
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“I believe like we have were given to come back out punching first, enjoying with toughness first, and announcing our dominance within the first couple of minutes of the sport.”
Requested why she felt her group may no longer fit the tone of its combatants previously two video games, Paopao mentioned, “Occasionally we will be a little bit unfastened and no longer locked in from the start.
“I believe like as a pace-setter, I have were given to let my group know that I believe just like the air of mystery at the moment isn’t feeling like we are locked, and we are simply too unfastened. We want to lock in as a result of it is win or pass house, and I do know that we undoubtedly do not wish to pass house.”
The important thing, after all, is being bodily with out fouling. As Paopao mentioned what she and her teammates will be expecting to look out of Duke — “a dogfight” — in preparation for the physicality, she additionally added, “With a bit of luck the subject I am not intended to speak shall we us play day after today.”
That will be the officers. South Carolina was once referred to as for 18 fouls in opposition to Maryland, its easiest general previously 8 video games. South Carolina trainer Crack of dawn Staley mentioned Saturday that she desires the shot variety to strengthen in opposition to Duke, a group the Gamecocks beat previous within the season. That implies no longer speeding photographs early within the shot clock, pulling down layups and being higher at ball rotation — in particular in the case of ensuring there are avid gamers within the house to snatch rebounds.
Indiana and Maryland attempted to pack the paint and performed with an aggressiveness within that led to problems during. Each groups held halftime leads in opposition to the reigning nationwide champions. Maryland had a lead with 3 mins left within the sport Friday ahead of South Carolina pulled away.
In a while, Maryland trainer Brenda Frese mentioned she felt her group “gave a gorgeous excellent blueprint on methods to beat South Carolina for the groups transferring ahead.”
South Carolina ahead Chloe Kitts spoke back, pronouncing, “I do not know if I’d say blueprint, as a result of they misplaced. So did you do the blueprint, or did you no longer? As a result of if you happen to did the blueprint, you might have gained. Folks can simply say what they would like. I do not actually care that she mentioned that. The sport was once shut. However on the finish of the day we gained.”
The Gamecocks are looking to win back-to-back nationwide championships for the primary time in class historical past. They had been closely liked to copy in 2023 however fell simply brief with a loss within the nationwide semifinals.
Regardless that guard Raven Johnson mentioned her group felt drive early within the season because the No. 1 group within the country, she mentioned there isn’t as a lot drive now because the video games get tougher.
“I would not say it is drive,” Johnson mentioned. “I’d say it is groups do not care we are South Carolina. Groups do not care we gained a countrywide championship as a result of that is what they would like. Now we have simply were given to play our basketball. We now have sufficient to get to the Ultimate 4, so we want to deliver it on Sunday.”
Staley hopes the revel in South Carolina has will give her group an edge in opposition to a Duke group that has no longer been to an Elite 8 since 2013.
“With a bit of luck we can faucet into a few of that,” Staley mentioned. “No longer pronouncing that we are overly assured as a result of we are not. There’s a house the place you have been right here ahead of. So the nerves are put to the aspect, and also you get for your behavior so much faster with a bit of luck than somebody who hasn’t been right here a complete lot.”
