Who: #6 South Carolina vs. #10 Notre Dame at Halle Georges Carpentier (Paris, France). This is the first ever NCAA WBB regular season game ever played in France.

Time/TV: 1:00 on ESPN

Line: Not available. This is not unusual for an early season WBB game. SC -5.5. Total 132.5

History: Notre Dame leads the series 3-2. The Irish are one of the few opponents that Dawn Staley has never beaten as South Carolina's Head Coach. She is 0-3. Both of Carolina's wins came in the early 80s. South Carolina is 9-5 all-time in games not played on U.S. soil, including an 8-2 mark in the Staley era – 5-0 in the Bahamas, 2-0 in Mexico, 1-2 in Canada.

Last Meeting: November 26, 2017, in the Gulf Coast Showcase. #6 Notre Dame defeated #3 South Carolina 92-85. It was meeting of future WNBA champion teammates as Jackie Young and the Irish overcame A'ja Wilson's 34 points and nine rebounds. Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points and Young scored 22 on her way to being named the tournament's MVP.

Generally we reserve this spot to tell you about the Gamecocks' opponent, but with so many new faces on the 23-24 roster, we figured we'd give the Gamecocks top billing.

Dawn Staley begins her 24th season as a head coach and 16th at South Carolina with a completely new starting lineup. The Gamecocks lost all five starters from last season, and five of their 11 players are new to the program this season. Staley lost four players to the WNBA Draft, yet still boasts a roster with eight McDonald's All-Americans, including 2023 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year Kamilla Cardoso and SEC All-Freshman selection Raven Johnson. This year's team is more guard dominant this season with five dynamic backcourt players. All have the ability to score at all three levels and can distribute the ball as well.

If there is one thing about Staley, she will correct a problem. Last season, Aliyah Boston was constantly facing a packed lane and teams challenged the Gamecocks to hit from three. Iowa famously didn't even guard Carolina's guards until they were two steps from the line. This year's team is going to play faster and shoot more 3's. Absent a generally post player like Wilson and Boston, Staley's guard dominated teams usually are much smoother on offense than her post dominant teams.

Still though, for the first time in three years, Gamecock fans don't know exactly what to expect from this team. (They will be good - but how good). The Gamecocks’ six returning players have started just three career games in a South Carolina uniform. Much attention went to who the Gamecocks didn't get, and LSU did, in the transfer portal. Carolina got senior transfer Te-Hina Paopao from Oregon. She is a three-point specialist. Johnson, Cardoso, Paopao and junior Sania Feagin are going to be the team's leaders. Adding more outside shooting is freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley from Keenan.

Notre Dame's best player is Olivia Miles. She injured her knee in the last regular season game of the 22-23 season. She is not quite ready to return to action. The junior was a second-team AP All-American averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and two steals per contest. Sonia Citron is a more than capable backup. She averaged 14.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. KK Bransford was a Freshman All-ACC selection. Bransford averaged 8.7 points and 4.7 boards a night. The Irish added add the No. 5 prospect in 2023 class in Hannah Hidalgo. The prior year they landed Cass Prosper, the #16 overall prospect.

Much like this year's Gamecocks, the Irish are going to try to play fast. Notre Dame, like almost everyone in the country, does not a player that can matchup with Cardoso in the paint. That's going to be the difference.

The Gamecock wash the bad taste of Iowa out of their mouths and give Dawn Staley her first win over the Irish. South Carolina 79-70.