Fans At Odds Over South Carolina's Ranking as AP Preseason No. 1
The first AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball preseason poll was released on Tuesday. While there were few surprises within the top 10, the No. 1 ranked team didn't come without some social media debate.
Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks squad took the top spot in Tuesday's AP poll. This probably should not come as a surprise, as South Carolina won the NCAA national championship last season after producing a perfect season with a 38-0 record.
South Carolina ranked No. 1 in women's AP Top 25 preseason poll with UConn, USC, Texas and UCLA next https://t.co/F6wpldHzKZ
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 15, 2024
That success alone earned South Carolina the inarguable No. 1 ranking in the eyes of many NCAAW fans. However, some questions about the Gamecocks' roster for this upcoming 2024-25 season have others suspecting they should not have been ranked so high.
X user @problemsthots wrote, "south carolina not doing s*** without a dominant big. you heard it here first."
This fan is alluding to Gamecocks star center Kamilla Cardoso having left college for the WNBA's Chicago Sky. Cardoso was pivotal in South Carolina's success last season, which is proven by her being selected at No. 3 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. It's currently unclear whether the Gamecocks have a frontcourt player who can come close to replicating Cardoso's production this year.
Another X user added to this sentiment, writing, "Considering the question marks in the front court it's good to see the Wolfpack women get some preseason recognition".
Considering the question marks in the front court it's good to see the Wolfpack women get some preseason recognition https://t.co/mYrf7kvTih
— ronnie m (@wolfpacker74) October 15, 2024
However, not all fans are counting South Carolina's frontcourt out. X user @LoLoByke added, "Never understood how people didn’t have South Carolina ranked 1. Losing Cardoso is big but they retooled and adding elite talent to an already STACKED team that went undefeated last year. Can’t wait to Joyce Edwards introduces herself to the world this season 🌚".
Never understood how people didn’t have South Carolina ranked 1. Losing Cardoso is big but they retooled and adding elite talent to an already STACKED team that went undefeated last year. Can’t wait to Joyce Edwards introduces herself to the world this season 🌚
— LoLivia Pope (@LoLoByke) October 15, 2024
Time will tell whether Edwards and her South Carolina teammates can keep their top ranking.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.