WBB: Roster Breakdown Part 1 - Returning Starters

South Carolina has a loaded roster for the 2021-22 season. All 11 players from last season’s Final Four team return, plus four freshmen in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, along with one of the most-coveted transfers in the country.

Figuring out how to put all the pieces together will be a challenge. This week we’ll take a look at how everyone might fit in, beginning with the returning starters.

Destanni Henderson (5-7, Senior, Point Guard)

12.2 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.7 rpg, 1.3 spg, 2.8 tpg, 34.0 mpg, 48.5% FG, 41.4% 3PT

Pros: It took a month or so for Henderson to settle into the starting point guard role - she struggled early on trying to balance running the team and getting her own shot. She led the SEC in assists and led South Carolina in three-point shooting percentage. Henderson was outstanding in the postseason, especially in the Final Four against Stanford, when she shook off a slow start to give the Gamecocks a chance to win at the end.

Cons: Henderson has a reputation as a turnover machine, and while that isn’t accurate she did turn the ball over more than Dawn Staley would like. Henderson had eight turnovers in the loss at UConn and six in the loss at Tennessee. Those were outliers, but losses stand out. Henderson is always going to be a little more of a high-risk, high-reward player than someone like Tyasha Harris, and 2.8 turnovers per game is only 0.7 per game more than Harris averaged in her senior season. But she needs to avoid those six-seven-eight turnover games.

Needs to improve: Aside from cutting down on turnovers, Henderson just needs to be more of a coach on the floor. Compared to Harris, Henderson had a limited playbook last season. The more South Carolina can do offensively, the more the floor opens up for Aliyah Boston. Also Staley mentioned that being a great point guard doesn’t mean just getting the ball to the open player, it means getting it to the right player - be it the hot hand or somebody who just needs to see the ball go in the basket. Henderson started to show some of that in the last six weeks of the season, so she can do it.

Projection: She’s still PG1. Henderson should benefit from the arrival of Raven Johnson. Last season Henderson played the most minutes on the team by a significant margin because Dawn Staley didn’t trust anyone else to run the team. Johnson should be able to run the second unit and take some minutes and pressure off Henderson. They could even play together, taking Henderson off the ball so she can be more of a shooter and scorer.

Zia Cooke (5-9, Junior, Guard)

15.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.9 spg, 2.5 tpg, 32.1 mpg, 39% FG, 39.3% 3PT

Pros: Cooke was an explosive scorer who could take over games for five-eight minutes at a time (witness the Florida and Stanford games). She led the team in scoring and free throws made, attempted, and percentage. If she were on a less talented and balanced team, Cooke would put up Rhyne Howard-type offensive numbers.

Cons: Cooke needs to be a more efficient scorer. Cooke drew the ire of many fans for the number of shots she takes (Cooke took over 120 more shots than anyone else on the team). That anger is somewhat misplaced - Staley wants Cooke to keep shooting, and Cooke’s role is to shoot - but when Cooke misses a couple of baskets she has a tendency to start forcing things and taking bad shots, leading to more frustration.

Needs to improve: Consistency. She’s always going to be a heat-check player, and when Cooke gets hot you get out of her way and watch the show. Her hot streaks are so hot that you can deal with the cold stretches. Those stretches won’t hurt as much as long as Cooke continues to play hard on defense and stay engaged. Staley was happy with how Cooke did that in the NCAA Tournament, but Cooke needs to do it every game.

Projection: Cooke is locked into the starting lineup. She probably won’t play 32 minutes again, which is a good thing, but. Cooke struggled defensively against bigger guards, but the arrival of Saniy Rivers and Bree Hall, two big, defensive-minded guards, means Cooke won’t have to take on as much of a defensive load.

Brea Beal (6-1, Junior, Wing)

7.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.1 tpg, 0.9 spg, 0.8 bpg, 27.2 mpg, 42.6% FG, 29.6% 3PT

Pros: Beal improved her averages in every category but rebounding (she dropped a tenth of a rebound per game), and continues to play outstanding defense. Beal also scored a career-high 22 points against Arkansas and played all 45 minutes against UConn.

Cons: Beal improved on her freshman season, but didn’t make the big jump many (including me) expected. She also went through a shooting slump in the SEC tournament that visibly affected her play.

Needs to improve: It’s the same as last offseason. If Beal can improve her shooting, a whole new offensive world will open up. If she can get to 35% from three opponents will have to honor her shot, which will improve spacing and create driving lanes for Beal. Same thing goes for free throws: Beal is good at drawing fouls, but she shot just 57.4% from the line, leaving a lot of points off the board.

Projection: Beal knows her role, which is important. All five starters can be scorers, and she has accepted that. If one of the freshmen guards, Bree Hall or Saniya Rivers, comes in and completely blows everyone away, particularly as a three-point shooter who can stretch the defense, I could see Beal moving to a reserve role. She would have more scoring opportunities and could be a high-energy veteran presence for the second unit, especially if LeLe Grissett has to miss any time recovering from her injury.

Victaria Saxton (6-2, Senior, Power Forward)

8.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 1.2 spg, 23.4 mpg, 57.3% FG, 0-0 3PT

Pros: I was skeptical a year ago when Staley said she expected Saxton to be the starting power forward. But Saxton excelled as a low-maintenance sidekick for Boston. She’s a good defender, takes smart shots, and keeps the ball moving.

Cons: Saxton can hit the 15-foot jumper, but for the most part she isn’t comfortable away from the basket. That led to some spacing issues as she and Boston frequently ended up in the same place (Carolyn Peck is still losing her mind over seeing Saxton get in Boston’s lane).

Needs to improve: Saxton isn’t going to suddenly become a three-point shooter like Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, but if she can become a reliable mid-range shooter, it will help open up the low post for Boston and newcomer Kamilla Cardoso.

Projection: Saxton is in a similar situation as Beal. Sania Feagin has some similarities to Herbert Harrigan, including the ability to shoot the three. If Feagin can shoot like Herbert Harrigan and, more importantly, hold her own on defense, you might see Saxton go back to the bench and lead the second unit.

Aliyah Boston (6-5, Junior, Post)

13.7 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 1.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.6 tpg, 30.4 mpg, 48.5% FG, 26.5% 3PT

Pros: Everything? Boston got off to a slow start to the season, which had a lot to do with the Gamecocks figuring out how to play without Ty Harris. She figured that out, winning The Athletic’s National Player of the Year Award. Boston is the Gamecocks’ offensive centerpiece, may be their best playmaker, and is a shockingly talented defender.

Cons: Boston’s shooting percentage dropped from 60.8% as a freshman to 48.5% last season. There are a number of reasons for the drop, including the fact that Boston shouldered a bigger offensive load. But Boston also missed a lot of layups

Needs to improve: Boston needs to avoid passive spells. Boston is such a smart player that sometimes she makes the “right” decision instead of the “best” decision. When you are the best player on the court, as Boston is in almost every game, sometimes the best thing you can do is to be selfish instead of making the “right” play.

Projection: In March Boston seemed to learn how to dominate the game: there was a noticeable change in how she carried herself on and off the court that seemed to be the realization that she might be the best player in the country. Combine that with the motivation from the missed game-winner in the Final Four, and Boston should be the SEC Player of the Year and maybe add another National Player of the Year.