COLUMBIA — No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball closed the door on its record-setting 43rd consecutive win Wednesday and looks ahead to No. 6 UCLA on Sunday.
The Bruins (4-0) are the most talented team the Gamecocks (5-0) have faced this season, presenting the challenge of a tall, skilled post player.
UCLA has the advantage of the home court, not having to deal with the time change and travel that South Carolina does. But even on a neutral court or in Colonial Life Arena, this game would still challenge coach Dawn Staley’s team.
South Carolina won 73-64 on Nov. 29, 2022, and then later beat the Bruins again in the NCAA tournament in March 2023, 59-43.
Here’s what to know about the Top 10 matchup:
Star center Lauren Betts powers UCLA women’s basketball
UCLA junior center Lauren Betts is a 6-foot-7 powerhouse in the paint and has a major height advantage on the Gamecocks. She’s averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game this season, and last year finished with 14.9 points per game, an indication of the improvement in her game this season.
Games like these are ones that could trip up South Carolina, which is still adjusting to not having 6-7 Kamilla Cardoso in the paint to protect and score.
Betts was ranked No. 6 on ESPN’s preseason list of Top 25 women’s college basketball players. The Gamecocks had two players listed, Te-Hina Paopao at No. 16 and MiLaysia Fulwiley at No. 19.
Kiki Rice, bevy of talented guards for UCLA
Junior guard Kiki Rice dealt with a minor shoulder injury that kept her out of the first few games this season but she returned Nov 17. She was on a minutes restriction, playing just 11 total, but reports said coach Cori Close believes she will be ready to go by next week. It’s unclear if that includes Sunday against South Carolina
Rice was No. 22 on ESPN’s rankings. As a freshman, she scored 16 points against the Gamecocks in Columbia. She averaged 13.2 points and 4.5 assists per game last season. If she plays Sunday, she’ll bring speed and intelligence on the court and will be a challenge outside the paint an a complement to Betts inside.
The dual-threat on offense expands beyond Rice. Freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo is the third-leading scorer with 12.5 points and a team-high 7.5 assists per game. The Bruins also have experienced guards in Gabriela Jaquez and Londynn Jones.
Forward Timea Gardiner is leading the team from behind the arc at 57.7% this season.
RIVALRY GAME: Why Clemson made things frantic for South Carolina women’s basketball, Dawn Staley
South Carolina vs UCLA score prediction
UCLA 80, South Carolina 76: Coach Dawn Staley has lots of experience coaching close, competitive important games, but the Gamecocks just don’t match up well to a team like UCLA right now. If this game was in February, it’s a different story but it’s early and South Carolina hasn’t played a complete game yet, especially on offense. The Gamecocks shot 5-of-21 in the first quarter against Clemson. Raven Johnson and Chloe Kitts will need to be productive on offense, and Ashlyn Watkins will have to defend Betts well in the paint.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women’s basketball vs UCLA score prediction
