Defending champs, plus UConn highlight loaded Gamecock women’s basketball schedule

Augusta Stone
·2 min read

The 2021-22 slate of games is set for the South Carolina women’s basketball team.

The Gamecocks released their full non-conference schedule Tuesday to complete this year’s schedule — and those non-SEC games include multiple marquee matchups.

South Carolina opens the season Nov. 9 with a road game against North Carolina State, which finished the 2020-21 season ranked No. 7 in the Coaches’ Poll. Other highlights of the Gamecocks’ non-conference schedule include home meetings with postseason No. 9 Maryland on Dec. 12, reigning national champion Stanford on Dec. 21 and No. 3 UConn on Jan. 27.

Clemson also comes to Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 17.

SEC play tips off on the road on Dec. 30 with South Carolina traveling to Missouri. The Gamecocks’ conference schedule includes a home-and-home series with rival Kentucky as well as the 2021 SEC regular season champion Texas A&M Aggies.

South Carolina travels to play LSU and the Tigers’ first-year head coach Kim Mulkey on Jan. 6.

USC brings back all 11 of its starters from last season, when the Gamecocks made it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. The 2020-21 Gamecocks narrowly missed a championship berth after falling in a close matchup with the eventual national champion Stanford. Dawn Staley also adds the nation’s top recruiting class in 2021 to the roster.

The school has not yet announced any capacity limits or COVID-19 guidelines for this season’s basketball games at Colonial Life Arena. Football games at Williams-Brice Stadium allow full capacity.

USC women’s basketball 2021-22 schedule

Nov. 1: home vs. Benedict (exhibition)

Nov. 9: at NC State

Nov. 12: at South Dakota

Nov. 17: home vs. Clemson

Nov. 20: vs. Buffalo (Bahamas)

Nov. 21: vs. Oregon or Oklahoma (Bahamas)

Nov. 22: TBA (Bahamas)

Nov. 26: home vs. Elon

Nov. 29: home vs. NC A&T

Dec. 3: home vs. Kansas State

Dec. 12. home vs. Maryland

Dec. 15: at Duke

Dec. 21: home vs. Stanford

Dec. 30: at Missouri

Jan. 2: home vs. Ole Miss

Jan. 6: at LSU

Jan. 9: home vs. Kentucky

Jan. 13: home vs. Texas A&M

Jan. 16: at Arkansas

Jan. 24: home vs. Vanderbilt

Jan. 27: home vs. UConn

Jan. 30: at Florida

Feb. 3: home vs. Alabama

Feb. 6: home vs. Mississippi State

Feb. 10: at Kentucky

Feb. 13: at Georgia

Feb. 17: home vs. Auburn

Feb. 20: home vs. Tennessee

Feb. 24: at Texas A&M

Feb. 27: at Ole Miss

March 2-6: SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn.