Despite its regular-season ending 67-56 loss to Kentucky, No. 3 South Carolina is enjoying one of its most successful years in history. The Gamecocks spent several weeks as the No. 1 team in the country and claimed the SEC regular-season championship for the second straight year. As head coach Dawn Staley’s team prepares for postseason play starting with this week’s SEC tournament, here’s a review of what players and moments have made this season a special one for South Carolina.
Heart and soul: Senior forward Aleighsa Welch — One of three seniors on this year’s team, Welch arrived on campus back in 2011 when South Carolina had yet to establish itself as a national power, but the Gamecocks have ascended toward the top during her time in Columbia. Through 97 career starts and 129 games played, Welch has averaged 10.6 points, but many of the valuable things she does for Staley’s team go unnoticed. Whether it be grabbing an offensive rebound in a critical situation or being able to handle the ball well in the open court for a post player, Welch brings a series of intangibles to the table that could help South Carolina down the stretch this season. Staley said that Welch has been “incredible for our program” and called her senior leader a coach on and off the floor.
Most valuable player: Junior guard Tiffany Mitchell — Coaches always like being able to know what to expect out of their players, and it’s safe to say Mitchell has been pretty dependable for the Gamecocks this season. The back-to-back SEC player of the year, Mitchell averages a team-best 14.8 points per game this season. The Charlotte, North Carolina native has scored in double-figures in all but five of South Carolina’s 29 games this season. A shooting guard who can do a bit of everything, Mitchell has established herself as one of the SEC’s top scorers while also building a reputation as an above-average defender. Most importantly, Mitchell can usually be depended on for a bucket when her team needs it the most as she’s one of South Carolina’s best players at creating her own shot. If the Gamecocks are to make a run in the NCAA tournament this season they’ll without a doubt have to depend on Mitchell, one of their more experienced and established playmakers.
Newcomer of the year: Freshman guard/forward A’ja Wilson — When Wilson, the No. 1 high school recruit by ESPN, committed to South Carolina last April, almost everyone knew that Staley had hauled in a big catch. Indeed, Wilson’s contributions to the Gamecocks this year have been huge. Although she’s only started once, Wilson has excelled in her role as a bench player, putting up starter statistics. Despite playing on a team that likes to share the wealth when scoring, Wilson’s 13.7 points per game rank second on the team despite playing just more than 20 minutes on average. Wilson is also averaging seven rebounds per game and is making 51.6 percent of her shot attempts. Wilson was named the SEC freshman of the year on Monday and ESPN analyst Doris Burke said last week that she believes the national freshman of the year race is between Wilson and Notre Dame forward Brianna Turner.
Best off the bench: Sophomore center Alaina Coates — Coates resembles Wilson. She was in the 2013-2014 season what Wilson is this season: a productive bench scorer as a freshman. After being named the 2014 SEC Freshman Player of the Year, Coates is enjoying a strong sophomore season. Thanks to 6-foot-4-inches in height and muscular frame, Coates has been a force in the paint throughout her college career and is averaging 10.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for 2014-2015. Like Wilson, Coates usually doesn’t crack the starting five, but that’s not to say the Gamecocks don’t rely on the Irmo native. Coates plays the fourth most minutes per game (20.8) for South Carolina and serves as a reliable and big defender down in the low post.
X-Factor: Junior guard Khadijah Sessions — As the opposing team’s point guard begins to bring the ball up the court, it becomes evident just how gritty Sessions is. Her low-to-the-ground stance and constant badgering on defense helps set the tone for South Carolina. Likewise, Sessions is a key catalyst on offense for the Gamecocks. Although she doesn’t score very often, Sessions helps run the offense. With that said, Sessions has improved herself as a threat to shoot and score. Through conference play, Sessions made 46 percent of her shots, including a 28.3 percent mark on three-pointers. Now with the postseason coming up next, solid play at the point guard position matters more than ever, and Sessions’ level of play could play a huge role in the amount of success South Carolina enjoys for the remainder of the year.