South Carolina has two All-American post players in A'ja Wilson and Alaina Coates, but lately, the team has enjoyed a lot of success with four guards on the floor, including in Friday's SEC quarterfinal win over Georgia.
As Coates sat out, the Gamecocks still opened the game with two bigs, as freshman Mikiah Herbert Harrigan got her second career start. However, Bianca Cuevas-Moore entered after just over three minutes, and she provided the spark that gave the team a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter.
"It's something that we probably should've done a little bit sooner, but you don't know," Dawn Staley said about the four-guard lineup. "When you have two [All-SEC] players like Alaina Coates and A'ja Wilson, and they've been very successful to our program, for our program, you want to be sure to keep them happy and being as productive as they are."
Starting Coates and Wilson is a no-brainer when both are healthy, but the success the Gamecocks have had with four guards could lend itself to the frontcourt stars playing together less often once Coates returns.
As for Saturday, Coates' status is unknown. The senior was in Columbia receiving treatment when the Gamecocks took the floor in Greenville, and she arrived with her leg on a rolling cart just before the end of Friday's contest. Regardless, I'd expect to see Cuevas-Moore working as the sixth woman, after Herbert Harrigan's strong performance and the junior guard's excellence off the bench.
Staley pointed out that the small lineup allowed her guards to get inside more, as the lane is generally clogged with defenders looking to shut down Coates and Wilson. Cuevas-Moore, Allisha Gray and Tyasha Harris were getting into the paint Friday against Georgia, allowing them to get layups or find Wilson for easy buckets.
Of course, South Carolina would still love to have its 6-foot-4 double-double machine back on the court Saturday to take on Kentucky.
“I thought we took advantage of the space that was left by Alaina Coates not being able to play today,” Staley said after the win. “But we look forward to having her hopefully tomorrow.”
Regardless of whether Coates plays, the attacking of the Gamecock guards will be essential, as the Georgia defense wasn't able to handle Gray and Kaela Davis, both known for their shooting abilities, getting into the lane.
So what does the small lineup success mean?
It means Staley has options. When the Gamecocks need to go big, they've got the best frontcourt duo in the country. If they need some extra quickness, Staley can leave one of her All-Americans on the floor and play with four athletic guards — not to mention the fact that Davis, Gray and Doniyah Cliney are all 6-foot or taller.
The Gamecocks got some reps in a four-guard set while Wilson missed a few games earlier this year, and that unit is clicking now. Even though Staley said she came around late on small lineup, it's only good news for the Gamecocks as they look to three-peat as SEC Tournament champions.