The South Carolina women's basketball program is reloading for its upcoming 2026-27 season. A year removed from making the national championship game, Dawn Staley is eager to prove her program can compete with the best programs in the country. One way to do just that is scheduling out-of conference games aggressively.
On Friday, the Gamecocks announced a new non-conference opponent for their upcoming season, as a two-game series against Oklahoma State was announced. On Dec. 6, star center Audi Crooks and the Cowgirls will travel to Columbia to take on South Carolina at Colonial Life Center. The Gamecocks will then travel to play OK-State at a neural site in Oklahoma during the 2027-28 season.
Plan accordingly 🗓️
— OSU Cowgirl Basketball (@OSUWBB) August 7, 2026
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🎟️ https://t.co/ApubqaoHow #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/vhQ9nQhR1j
The game will mark the first time in program history that the two teams have played each other. The Cowgirls have made the NCAA Tournament in three out of the last four seasons, advancing to the second round last season. This will be a big test for South Carolina's defense, as the Gamecocks will matchup against one of the best offensive stars in the country in Audi Crooks.
2026-27 will be her first season at Oklahoma State, starting her career at Iowa State. Crooks averaged 24.6 points per game the last two seasons with the Cyclones, and led the NCAA in scoring during the 2025-26 season. When Crooks hit the transfer portal last spring, she was considered to be on Coach Staley's radar as a potential recruit. But instead, the Gamecocks landed star guard Jordan Lee from Texas and former Tennessee signee Oliviyah Edwards. If South Carolina can get a big home victory against Oklahoma State, it could make Crooks regret not taking her talents to Columbia instead. A win for the Gamecocks would also be a great way to add to South Carolina's strength of schedule.
Although South Carolina hasn't released its full non-conference schedule, the Gamecocks will play Big Ten opponent Maryland in Paris, France on Nov. 2, North Carolina from the ACC on Nov. 8, USC in Greenville on Nov. 15, UConn on Nov. 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena, and on the road against Duke on Dec. 3, part of the annual ACC-SEC Challenge.
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