All eyes in women’s college basketball will be focused on what could be a preview of an April matchup, when the fifth-ranked NC State Wolfpack host the top-ranked University of South Carolina Gamecocks in a primetime season-opening showdown Tuesday evening inside Reynolds Coliseum.
The two teams met last season in Columbia, SC with NC State coming out on top 54-46 on December 3, 2020.
The Wolfpack are coming off one of the best seasons in program history – finishing 22-3 overall, repeating as ACC Champions and earning a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling in the Sweet 16 to Indiana. NC State returns a group of “super seniors” in Raina Perez, Kayla Jones and Kai Crutchfield. On top of Elissa Cunane returning, head coach Wes Moore added a talented pair of transfers in Madison Hayes and Diamond Johnson, while also adding in the 12th ranked recruiting class.
South Carolina enters to game ranked number one in both primary polls. The Gamecocks return all 11 members from their 2021 Final Four squad, while adding top-ranked transfer Kamilla Cardoso and the top-ranked recruiting class. Head coach Dawn Staley enters her 14th season at the helm of the Gamecocks program.
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