South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley has been everywhere over the past couple of weeks.
In the past 17 days, the four-time National Coach of the Year has been involved in multiple championship parades (both in Columbia and at Disney World), supported former player Kamilla Cardoso at the WNBA Draft in New York, attended an NBA Playoff game courtside with Dr. J and Allen Iverson, has done multiple spots on national radio and television program, and has been on the road recruiting.
Somewhere in all of that, Coach Staley has found time to be in Columbia, as well, and on Wednesday morning, she hopped onto 107.5 The Game's Garnet Trust Hour (in partnership with GamecockCentral) and reported some breaking news about the Gamecocks' 2024-2025 schedule.
Coach Staley and her South Carolina basketball squad will open the season in Las Vegas against an opponent that will be revealed later. It is unclear if the other team in the matchup has been set but not announced or if Staley and company are still looking for a victim...opponent...to play against in Sin City because their originally scheduled opponent ducked out of the contest. Staley declined to say who the previous foe was, only saying that really good teams don't want to play" the Gamecocks.
The Southern Cal Trojans have been the media darlings this spring (much like the LSU Tigers last year), and because of that, many fans are hoping that a USC vs. USC matchup is in the works for the Vegas showdown. Last year, Las Vegas hosted a double-header at the beginning of the year that featured two games between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Southern Cal Trojans and between the LSU Tigers and Colorado Buffaloes.
Coach Staley also mentioned in her time on 107.5 that the Gamecocks will travel to UCLA to take on the Bruins next year and that the UConn Huskies will return to Colonial Life Arena for the annual rivalry game.
For South Carolina basketball fans, November can't get here soon enough.