The last time the South Carolina and LSU women’s basketball teams faced off on the court, tensions ran high. As they gear up for their next matchup (5 p.m. Friday, ESPN), Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley emphasized that the drama from their previous encounter is behind them. For those who missed it, the 2024 SEC Championship game between Staley’s Gamecocks and Kim Mulkey’s Tigers ended in controversy due to an on-court scuffle. LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson committed an intentional foul on USC’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, which escalated when Johnson shoved USC’s Ashlyn Watkins. This prompted USC’s Kamilla Cardoso to push Johnson to the ground, further intensifying the situation.
Chaos ensued for about 15 seconds as both benches cleared to defend their respective teammates, but coaches and security personnel ultimately kept things under control. After a 15-minute discussion, officials decided to eject Cardoso for fighting as well as the entire benches for LSU and USC with the exception of Sania Feagin and Te-Hina Paopao. South Carolina won the game and the title 79-72.
During a press conference with local reporters on Thursday, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was asked if last year’s on-court altercation would add extra intensity to Friday’s game. While the incident made national headlines at the time, Staley clarified that she has already discussed it with her team and considers it a thing of the past. Her primary focus now is on how the officiating might be influenced by the history between the two teams.
“We expect the officiating to be very attentive from the start of the game,” Staley said. “Some of the actions that happened in that game—both from our side and LSU’s—won’t be allowed this time. For us, it’s about adapting to how the game will be called. It’s likely to be tightly officiated, and I’d expect nothing less if I were coordinating the officials.”
“But I don’t believe our teams are in that same mindset or headspace anymore,” Staley added. Last year’s SEC Championship game didn’t deviate significantly in terms of fouls. South Carolina was called for 16 personal fouls during that game, slightly above their season average of 14.2. This season, the Gamecocks are averaging 13.2 personal fouls per game. On the other hand, LSU had 15 personal fouls in last year’s matchup, close to their season average of 16.4. This year, the Tigers are averaging 16.8 personal fouls per game.
Veteran guard Raven Johnson, who stayed on the court during the altercation in last year’s SEC Championship game, shared Coach Staley’s perspective on leaving the incident behind. “We’ve moved on from that,” Johnson said. “You can’t dwell on what happened last year. It’s a new season, a new team for both sides, so we’re focusing on the present.”
The upcoming game between the No. 2 Gamecocks (18-1, 6-0 SEC) and the No. 5 Tigers (20-0, 5-0 SEC) has evolved into a fierce rivalry in recent years, even though South Carolina has dominated with a 16-game winning streak against LSU. With only one scheduled conference matchup this season, Friday’s game carries significant implications for both teams’ SEC regular-season title aspirations and their seeding in the conference tournament.
Both South Carolina and LSU enter this matchup undefeated in SEC play this season. “It’s a rivalry,” Staley said. “It’s a game we have to win. Since we only play them once, securing the tiebreaker advantage is crucial. But at the end of the day, it’s still just a game. Win or lose, all our goals remain within reach. It does make things a bit tougher, especially in conference play, but I’m glad we’re playing at home.”
While Staley downplayed the significance, Raven Johnson acknowledged the excitement surrounding the game. Despite the tip-off being delayed by a day due to winter weather and ESPN’s “College GameDay” canceling its coverage for the same reasons, this remains a nationally televised top-five showdown. “It’s great for women’s basketball as a whole,” Johnson said. “We know there’s going to be a huge audience. When you go on social media, all you see is LSU versus South Carolina. The fans, everyone is talking about it.”
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