She knew it was time back in March.
Arkansas women’s basketball star Maryam Dauda played in 68 games across two seasons in Fayetteville, including starting every game of the 2023-24 season and averaging 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
But something was missing, and she made the difficult call to leave home as a Bentonville, Ark. native to try to find it.
“I’ve never played in an NCAA Tournament, and I felt like it was time,” Dauda said. “Watching everyone else or watching this team [South Carolina] in the tournament, it was time for me to find someone else who would help me make that transition. And obviously with Coach [Dawn] Staley and the staff calling me, I was just like this is the time for me to make that happen.”
The 6-foot-4 forward with two years of remaining eligibility landed at South Carolina, and will help the Gamecocks offset the loss of Kamilla Cardoso in the front court this coming season.
Why South Carolina?
She had offers from all over, and why not?
The ferocious shot blocker swatted 74 shots last season, third in school history. She finished 17 games double-digits in scoring and when she got a shot at No. 1 South Carolina last season, dropped 19 points. Of course that caught Staley’s attention, and the wheels went into motion when Dauda entered the portal.
“Once I put my name in the transfer portal, the South Carolina coaching staff reached out to my AAU coach,” Dauda explained. “They called me and they were just like, ‘South Carolina is on the phone, do you want to talk to them?’ I was like, ‘Yes, it’s Dawn Staley. Who wouldn’t want to talk to Dawn Staley?’ That’s how my recruiting process started.”
But still, it wasn’t easy. She was leaving home, and needed to make sure the new program was also one. And then came the official visit, which put any such doubts to bed immediately.
“When I came on my visit, how I knew this was home for me was when I got to the airport with my family, I didn’t want to leave,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is a sign, I need to come back.’”
How She Describes Her Game:
“I would say I’m a stretch four. I shoot the ball very, very well from the 3-point line. I would say I’m a stretch four, but if I had a mismatch I would be able to go in the post.”
Player She Models Her Game After:
“I would say DeWanna Bonner. I feel like I play like her, but I’m not as strong. But I feel like that’s someone I model my game after.”
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