South Carolina Basketball: Gamecocks land big-time transfer portal post player

South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley doesn't go into the transfer portal and get a new player for her team unless she fits both the Gamecocks' culture and a positional need.

Three years ago, Kamilla Cardoso was the top prize for Carolina out of the portal. The year after that, it was point guard Kierra Fletcher. Last season, Te-Hina Paopao filled the elite shooter-sized hole on the roster.

Now, with USC in need of a shot-blocking big who also can add some scoring punch, Coach Staley found a perfect fit. On Wednesday, former Arkansas Razorbacks forward Maryam Dauda announced that she was committing to the South Carolina basketball program.

Dauda is a 6'4" power forward who is a big-time shot-blocker who adds some shooting touch and athleticism to the frontcourt for the Gamecocks. Last year, as a redshirt sophomore for the Razorbacks, Dauda averaged over 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game.

Dauda is a defender with some switchability, much like current Gamecock forwards Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts. She joins with Watkins, Kitts, Sania Feagin, Sakima Walker, and Adhel Tac to keep South Carolina basketball atop the college basketball world in the paint.

Dauda's defensive versatility and shooting ability will allow Staley a ton of lineup flexibility at the power forward spot. Kitts and Dauda both have shooting touch, Dauda and Watkins are shot-blockers who can switch to multiple positions, and all four of Dauda, Watkins, Kitts, and Feagin can score on the block and have rebounding chops. In other words, no matter what type of frontcourt the Gamecocks face, they will have a counter.

Replacing the outgoing Kamilla Cardoso won't be easy, but because of the embarrassment of riches for the Gamecocks at power forward and center and another year of experience for the dynamic young guards on the roster, there is a chance that Carolina will be even better in the 2024-2025 season than they were in their undefeated 2023-2024 campaign.

Some offseason prognostications have made the mistake of buying into the hype that the Southern Cal Trojans have done enough to supplant the Gamecocks at the top of women's college basketball. The addition of Dauda should quiet all of that talk for now.