South Carolina takes on another top ten opponent Sunday, hosting #8 Maryland in the Jimmy V Women’s Classic.

1. Henny’s Health

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Destanni Henderson is day-to-day with a left leg injury. It was her status going into the Kansas State game, and it’s her status going into the Maryland game.

“Every day is a little better than the day before,” Dawn Staley said. “So we’ll see where she ends up.”

Staley said that Henderson was not “full-go” in practice.

Henderson had appeared in 85 consecutive games, dating back to her freshman season, before missing the game against Kansas State. If she can’t play, Laeticia Amihere would get her second start at point guard.

2. Injury bug

Both teams have dealt with significant injuries this season. In addition to Henderson, Raven Johnson, backup point guard and highest rated recruit, played just nine minutes before a knee injury in the second game ended her season. Super senior LeLe Grissett, South Carolina’s top reserve last season, has yet to play this season with a leg injury suffered in the SEC tournament championship game.

Maryland has been hit hard by injuries this season - you could probably get a top 25 team out of just the players who haven’t played. Maryland’s Diamond Miller, an All-Big Ten selection last season, has played just 15 minutes across two games due to a knee injury. Super senior Channise Lewis has yet to play due to a knee injury suffered last season. Katie Benzen, who shot 50% from three last season, missed three games with an illness. And Faith Masonius, a key reserve, missed five games due to illness. Although Ashley Owusu hasn’t missed any games, she dealt with a sprained ankle early in the season. Before the season, guard Zoe Taylor medically retired due to knee injuries.

Maryland coach Brenda Frese said Miller is “day-to-day” and she doesn’t know if Miller will play against South Carolina.

3. Being Dominant

Beginning with the trip to the Bahamas, Aliyah Boston has been playing dominant basketball. She’s averaging 16.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks this season, but was on another level in the two games before exams. She had 29 points and 14 rebounds on 13-13 shooting against North Carolina A&T, and followed it with 22 points and 17 rebounds on 9-11 shooting against Kansas State. It was a coole average of 25 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 91.6% shooting (22-24). According to ESPN Stats & Info, Boston is the only player in the last 20 seasons with a two-game span averaging 25 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 90% from the floor.

Boston could have another big game against Maryland. The Terrapins don’t have any big bruisers in the post like Boston, and don’t have anyone over 6-3. Of course, it hasn’t mattered who opponents threw at Boston, she’s been dominant against everyone.

Boston needs 12 points to reach 1,000 for her career. Zia Cooke needs just three points.

4. Teddy Bear Toss

After a one-year absence, the teddy Bear Toss returns to Colonial Life Arena. The first toss was held in 2019 against Duke, when 2,046 stuffed animals were thrown onto the court at halftime (“It was like Christmas,” Zia Cooke said). It was one of the most memorable moments of that memorable season, and there were so many bears the Gamecocks were still giving them away at the SEC tournament in March 2020.

The stuffed animals collected will be distributed to local children’s charities. Bears should not be in boxes or have batteries or noisemakers.

5. Scouting the Terrapins

After a pandemic-induced hiatus last season, South Carolina and Maryland resume the series that began in 2017. The games have served as a sort of barometer for South Carolina, a pretty good predictor of how the rest of the season would play out. In a 94-86 win in 2017, A’ja Wilson had a monster game (32 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks), but South Carolina struggled to put Maryland away, a recurring theme that season (Gamecock Lindsey Spann, now an assistant at Maryland, scored 15 points in that game). In an 85-61 blowout loss in 2018, South Carolina was totally outclassed on the glass (minus-24) and showed little fight from anyone other than Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, a clear harbinger of the dysfunctional season to follow. And then in 2019, South Carolina’s talented freshmen announced their arrival by dominating the paint (ten rebounds by Brea Beal, five blocks by Aliyah Boston) and locking down Maryland defensively (31% shooting, plus-16 rebounding) in a 63-54 win, the first sign of the dominant season to come.

Unlike those games, which were all played in early- to mid-November, this meeting is in mid-December, when we have a pretty good idea of who these teams are. For South Carolina, it’s game two of the “Tour de Power 5,” which sees the Gamecocks play each of the power five conferences over a five game stretch (sorry Big East) as they take on all comers as preparation for a potential national championship run. For Maryland, a win would be a much-needed resume boost for a team that is just trying to stay afloat until it gets back some of the injured players.

All the injuries Maryland has dealt with have opened the door for sophomore Angel Reese. Reese’s freshman season was marred by a foot injury that cost her 15 games, but she still averaged 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. This season Reese is averaging 18.5 points and 10.2 rebounds as a wing, including a huge 26-point, 15-rebound game against Miami.

When healthy, Maryland has one of the most potent offenses in the country. The Terrapins averaged over 90 points per game last season and had six different players average double digit scoring. The Terps are only averaging 83.6 points per game this season, but they still want to speed the game up.

“They press off of made baskets, off of dead ball situations,” Staley said. “It’s a three-quarter press and we’ve been turning the ball over so it gives us pause.”

Maryland is plus-6.8 in turnover margin this season and only turns the ball over 11.3 times a game. South Carolina is averaging 16.1 turnovers. Maryland also excels at getting to the free throw line, leading the nation in made free throws and hitting 76.9%. Reese leads the nation in free throws and Ashley Owusu is fourth.

The Ws

Who: #1 South Carolina (9-0) vs #8 Maryland (9-2)

When: 3:00 pm, Sunday, December 12

Where: Colonial Life Arena

Watch: ESPN

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