Three things TCU women’s basketball must do to upset Gamecocks, reach Final Four
TCU women’s basketball is back in the Elite Eight and 40 minutes away from clinching the program’s first Final Four.
It’s been quite the journey for the Horned Frogs as they navigated having a target on their back in the Big 12 and had to rebuild their entire roster.
But to reach another historic milestone the No. 3 seed Horned Frogs (32-5) must overcome their biggest challenge, No. 1 seed South Carolina (34-3), at 8 p.m. Monday in Sacramento. It’s the second straight season TCU has faced the Gamecocks after South Carolina defeated the Horned Frogs 85-52 at Dickies Arena on Dec. 8, 2024.
The Horned Frogs are optimistic that Monday will be a much different result, but there are multiple things TCU must accomplish to pull off the upset.
Here are three keys for TCU to advance to the Final Four:
Supporting cast must step up
The stat that made rounds around social media after TCU’s 79-69 win over No. 10 seed Virginia on Saturday was how Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez scored or assisted on every point. Miles and Suarez will need to be excellent again, but ultimately the Horned Frogs will need much more against South Carolina’s elite defense.
The two players TCU will need the most are sophomore center Clara Silva and junior guard Donovyn Hunter. In last year’s matchup 6-foot-7 center Sedona Prince was overwhelmed against South Carolina’s physicality as she scored just six points and only grabbed two rebounds. Silva will need to be more productive on both ends and use her 6-7 frame to be a difference-maker.
Hunter’s defense has been elite as usual, but the All-Big 12 Defensive guard is still struggling to find her footing offensively. Hunter has scored two points or fewer in three of the past four games. Hunter is a good shooter and is sure to get open looks with South Carolina focusing on Miles and company. She has to knock down shots.
Control the pace
On Sunday, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said it’ll be imperative to speed TCU up with its defense, and that’ll start with the game plan on Miles. The Horned Frogs can play fast in spurts, but typically TCU uses a more deliberate pace on offense, using multiple ball screens to create the right look for Miles or her teammates.
The Horned Frogs need to keep the game in the half-court and make the Gamecocks execute consistently in a slower tempo game. One of the best ways TCU can achieve that is Miles winning her matchup with guard Raven Johnson, who rose to prominence for her defense on Caitlin Clark in the Gamecocks’ national championship victory in 2024. She’ll be Miles’ primary matchup and will aim to keep the ball out of her hands.
The other key will be avoiding turnovers, as South Carolina is forcing more than 18 per game. TCU has mostly done a good job of ball security, ranking just outside the top 50 in fewest turnovers per game. Avoiding live-ball turnovers that allow South Carolina to get into transition will be essential.
Pick your poison
TCU has been elite defensively just like South Carolina, but the Gamecocks will present the biggest challenge for the Horned Frogs’ underrated defense. That’s primarily because South Carolina has so many options it can lean on, unlike Virginia, whose entire offense rested on guard Kymora Johnson’s shoulders.
The Gamecocks have five players averaging double figures led by Joyce Edwards. The 6-3 sophomore forward is averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists during a breakout season. Edwards didn’t start when TCU faced South Carolina last time, and now she’s the Gamecocks’ leading scorer. What makes her so challenging to guard is the support she gets from her teammates.
Senior forward Madina Okot, listed at 6-5, averages 13.4 points and 10.9 rebounds, while Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson is averaging 14.7 points and 3.7 assists. Finally, Johnson is also experiencing her most productive offensive season with a career-high 10.2 points and team-high 5.3 assists.
Any of the five starters is able to score 20 on a given night, and TCU must find a way to slow down South Carolina’s prolific offense.
This story was originally published March 29, 2026 at 12:55 PM.
