What Dawn Staley said about Chloe Kitts’ absence, availability moving forward

South Carolina women’s basketball was without a key player against N.C. State, but it won’t be for long.

Gamecock coach Dawn Staley said forward Chloe Kitts, who sat Sunday because of an “academic policy issue,” will be back when the team faces Coppin State at home Thursday.

“Just one game,” Staley said of the situation.

It didn’t slow the No. 1 Gamecocks much, as they delivered a mostly comfortable 71-57 victory against the No. 9 Wolfpack.

Players who spoke to reporters after the game said it wasn’t too difficult to adjust without one of the team’s top returning players.

“Not having Chloe, we didn’t let that distract us from the main thing,” Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley said. “I felt like we just tried to navigate another way and it worked out for us.”

Guard Te-Hina Paopao added, “You gotta put five out and she put her five out and we did what we had to do.”

Kitts is expected to be a key cog in the Gamecocks’ title defense. She had team highs in points (19) and rebounds (14) in the season opener against Michigan.

The player who stepped into most of Kitts’ minutes was another Gamecock who has missed time. Ashlyn Watkins played for the first time since the end of a suspension tied to an offseason legal issue.

Watkins came in less than five minutes into the game to a large burst of applause from a Gamecocks-heavy crowd at the Spectrum Center.

N.C. State coach Wes Moore saw it as a simple tradeoff, Watkins in for Kitts, and noted it’s never easy facing a team that can throw depth at opponents like the Gamecocks can.

“You go in with a scouting report, we felt like Watkins would probably play,” Moore said. “You have 10 players on the scouting report. So you take (Kitts) out, she’s a great player, but we were already prepared for Joyce Edwards, for instance. So it really doesn’t change that much.”

Edwards, a freshman, started in Kitts’ place Sunday. Edwards finished with eight points and five rebounds, but had eight turnovers.

South Carolina issued this statement from Staley about Kitts shortly before Sundays tip: “We’re disappointed that Chloe has to sit out the game today due to an academic policy issue.

“Chloe has shown tremendous growth both academically and athletically over the offseason, demonstrating her commitment to excellence in every aspect. While she’s unable to play today, we’re incredibly proud of her progress.”