Yahoo Sports Michigan wasn’t supposed to be USC WBB’s first opponent. Here’s what we know
South Carolina women’s basketball will open its 2024-25 “repeat tour” season versus Michigan in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series on Nov. 4 in Las Vegas. But that wasn’t always the plan.
USC’s original opponent for that game backed out, coach Dawn Staley said in a radio interview on 107.5-FM The Game in May without revealing who that team was. According to documents obtained by The State through a public records request, South Carolina was slated to play Oregon State in Las Vegas.
The Gamecocks defeated the Beavers 70-58 in the Elite 8 on March 31.
Two months before that game took place, South Carolina entered into an agreement Jan. 25 with Position Sports, which owns and operates the event in Las Vegas. Athletic director Ray Tanner signed the agreement on April 22, while Position Sports leader Marc Steigerwalt signed it the next day.
On May 2, Tanner signed an amendment to the original contract establishing Michigan as USC’s new opponent. Steigerwalt signed it May 3.
While the amendment does not specify why Oregon State bowed out, the Beavers did lose eight players from their Elite 8 roster to the transfer portal.
Departures include star forward Raegan Beers (who averaged 17.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in 28 minutes per game; was also selected to the Pac-12 all-conference team); Pac-12 sixth player of the year Timea Gardiner (who averaged 11.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.4 APG in 26.7 MPG); and standout guard Talia Von Oelhoffen (who averaged 10.7 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 27 MPG; was also selected to the Pac-12 all-conference team).
Beers landed at Oklahoma — which South Carolina will play at home as part of its SEC schedule this season. Gardiner signed with UCLA — which USC will play on the road Nov. 24. And Von Oelhoffen joined Southern California.
The portal window closed the same day as Staley’s radio interview with 107.5 The Game.
South Carolina women’s basketball 2024-25 schedule
Known games as of July 8
Nov. 4: vs. Michigan in Las Vegas
Nov. 10: vs. N.C. State in Charlotte
Nov. 24: at UCLA
Nov. 28: vs. Iowa State (Fort Myers Tip-Off)
Nov. 30: vs. Purdue (Fort Myers Tip-Off)
Dec. 5: vs. Duke (ACC/SEC Challenge)
vs. UConn (non-conference)
at Clemson (non-conference)
vs. East Carolina (non-conference)
vs. Bowling Green (non-conference)
SEC home games (8): vs. Texas, vs. Arkansas, vs. Auburn, vs. Florida, vs. LSU, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Kentucky
SEC road games (8): at Texas, at Alabama, at Georgia, at Ole Miss, at Mississippi State, at Missouri, at Tennessee, at Vanderbilt
