# 2019–20 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team

The 2019–20 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by twelfth-year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and competed as members of the Southeastern Conference.

## Previous season

The Gamecocks finished the 2018–19 season 23–10, 13–3 in SEC play to finish in second place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the SEC women's tournament to Arkansas. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA women's tournament where they defeated Belmont and Florida State in the first and second rounds before losing to Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Nelly Perry | 0 | G | 5'10" | RS Senior | Camden, NJ | Graduated |
| Bianca Cuevas-Moore | 1 | G | 5'6" | RS Senior | Bronx, NY | Graduated |
| Te'a Cooper | 2 | G | 5'8" | RS Junior | Powder Springs, GA | Transferred to Baylor |
| Doniyah Cliney | 4 | G | 6'0" | Senior | Newark, NJ | Graduated |
| Bianca Jackson | 10 | G | 5'10" | Sophomore | Montgomery, AL | Transferred to Florida State |
| LaDazhia Williams | 23 | C | 6'2" | Sophomore | Bradenton, FL | Transferred to Missouri |
| Alexis Jennings | 35 | F | 6'2" | RS Senior | Laurel, MD | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Destiny Littleton | 11 | G | 5'9" | RS Sophomore | San Diego, CA | Transferred from Texas. Will sit out a year due to NCAA rules. |

### Recruits

The Gamecocks signed the #1 class in the nation for 2019 according to ESPN and Prospects nation.
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Aliyah Boston #1 P | Worcester, MA | Worcester Academy (MA) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | N/A | Nov 21, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 98 ||||||
| Zia Cooke #1 PG | Toledo, OH | Rogers | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | N/A | Nov 6, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 98 ||||||
| Laeticia Amihere #2 F | Milton, ON | King's Way Christian | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | N/A | Nov 14, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 98 ||||||
| Brea Beal #3 W | Rock Island, IL | Rock Island | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | N/A | Nov 8, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 98 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ESPN: 1 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2019 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019. ||||||

### SEC Media Poll

SEC media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | South Carolina |
| 2 | Texas A&M |
| 3 | Mississippi State |
| 4 | Kentucky |
| 5 | Arkansas |
| 6 | Tennessee |
| 7 | Auburn |
| 8 | LSU |
| 9 | Missouri |
| 10 | Georgia |
| 11 | Alabama |
| 12 | Florida |
| 13 | Ole Miss |
| 14 | Vanderbilt |

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| 11/01/2019* 7:00 pm | No. 8 | North Georgia | W 112–48 | – | 18 – Cooke | 8 – Boston | 5 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena Columbia, SC |
| Regular season |||||||||
| 11/05/2019* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 8 | Alabama State | W 103–43 | 1–0 | 13 – Tied | 12 – Boston | 4 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (10,586) Columbia, SC |
| 11/10/2019* 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | at No. 4 Maryland | W 63–54 | 2–0 | 14 – Boston | 10 – Beal | 4 – Tied | Xfinity Center (7,447) College Park, MD |
| 11/13/2019* 3:00 pm | No. 6 | at Dayton | W 75–49 | 3–0 | 27 – Cooke | 10 – Beal | 7 – Harris | UD Arena (2,331) Dayton, OH |
| 11/17/2019* 2:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 6 | Appalachian State | W 92–50 | 4–0 | 21 – Herbert Harrigan | 10 – Boston | 4 – Brea | Colonial Life Arena (10,498) Columbia, SC |
| 11/21/2019* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 5 | USC Upstate | W 112–32 | 5–0 | 18 – Tied | 10 – Boston | 6 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (10,052) Columbia, SC |
| 11/24/2019* 2:00 pm, ACCN | No. 5 | at Clemson Rivalry | W 84–48 | 6–0 | 13 – Herbert Harrigan | 9 – Herbert Harrigan | 4 – Henderson | Littlejohn Coliseum (2,840) Clemson, SC |
| 11/28/2019* 8:00 pm | No. 5 | vs. No. 17 Indiana Paradise Jam | L 57–71 | 6–1 | 13 – Herbert Harrigan | 8 – Herbert Harrigan | 5 – Harris | Sports and Fitness Center (1,924) St. Thomas, USVI |
| 11/29/2019* 8:00 pm | No. 5 | vs. Washington State Paradise Jam | W 68–53 | 7–1 | 20 – Herbert Harrigan | 8 – Boston | 3 – Harris | Sports and Fitness Center (1,806) Saint Thomas, USVI |
| 11/30/2019* 8:00 pm | No. 5 | vs. No. 2 Baylor Paradise Jam | W 74–59 | 8–1 | 20 – Tied | 13 – Boston | 7 – Harris | Sports and Fitness Center (2,424) Saint Thomas, USVI |
| 12/07/2019* 3:00 pm | No. 6 | at Temple | W 78–71 | 9–1 | 21 – Harris | 8 – Boston | 7 – Harris | McGonigle Hall (1,802) Philadelphia, PA |
| 12/15/2019* 2:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 5 | Purdue | W 85–49 | 10–1 | 15 – Henderson | 9 – Amihere | 5 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (11,306) Columbia, SC |
| 12/19/2019* 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 5 | Duke | W 89–46 | 11–1 | 12 – Tied | 8 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Colonial Life Arena (11,024) Columbia, SC |
| 12/22/2019* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 5 | No. 25 South Dakota | W 73–60 | 12–1 | 17 – Grissett | 9 – Boston | 3 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (10,505) Columbia, SC |
| 01/02/2020 7:40 pm, SECN | No. 4 | No. 13 Kentucky | W 99–72 | 13–1 (1–0) | 15 – Tied | 6 – Boston | 8 – Henderson | Colonial Life Arena (12,261) Columbia, SC |
| 01/05/2020 6:00 pm, SECN | No. 4 | at Alabama | W 93–78 | 14–1 (2–0) | 20 – Cooke | 12 – Boston | 7 – Harris | Coleman Coliseum (2,168) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 01/09/2020 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 4 | No. 21 Arkansas | W 91–82 | 15–1 (3–0) | 21 – Cooke | 25 – Boston | 7 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (10,234) Columbia, SC |
| 01/12/2020 5:00 pm, SECN | No. 4 | at Vanderbilt | W 93–57 | 16–1 (4–0) | 17 – Cooke | 8 – Boston | 6 – Harris | Memorial Gymnasium (2,447) Nashville, TN |
| 01/16/2020 8:30 pm, SECN | No. 1 | at Missouri | W 78–45 | 17–1 (5–0) | 14 – Tied | 13 – Beal | 5 – Harris | Mizzou Arena (3,576) Columbia, MO |
| 01/20/2020 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | No. 9 Mississippi State | W 81–79 | 18–1 (6–0) | 23 – Harris | 12 – Boston | 7 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (13,163) Columbia, SC |
| 01/26/2020 3:00 pm, SECN | No. 1 | at Georgia | W 88–53 | 19–1 (7–0) | 15 – Boston | 6 – Tied | 7 – Harris | Stegeman Coliseum (6,047) Athens, GA |
| 01/30/2020 8:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 1 | at Ole Miss | W 87–32 | 20–1 (8–0) | 16 – Amihere | 8 – Boston | 3 – Tied | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (1,225) Oxford, MS |
| 02/02/2020 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | No. 22 Tennessee | W 69–48 | 21–1 (9–0) | 20 – Cooke | 8 – Herbert Harrigan | 9 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (13,735) Columbia, SC |
| 02/06/2020 8:30 pm, SECN | No. 1 | at No. 25 Arkansas | W 86–65 | 22–1 (10–0) | 25 – Herbert Harrigan | 15 – Boston | 5 – Harris | Bud Walton Arena (2,452) Fayetteville, AR |
| 02/10/2020* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | No. 5 UConn | W 70–52 | 23–1 | 19 – Harris | 12 – Boston | 11 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Columbia, SC |
| 02/13/2020 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 1 | Auburn | W 79–53 | 24–1 (11–0) | 13 – Tied | 8 – Saxton | 5 – Tied | Colonial Life Arena (11,417) Columbia, SC |
| 02/17/2020 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 1 | Vanderbilt | W 95–44 | 25–1 (12–0) | 14 – Grissett | 14 – Boston | 6 – Henderson | Colonial Life Arena (11,249) Columbia, SC |
| 02/20/2020 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 1 | LSU | W 63–48 | 26–1 (13–0) | 13 – Boston | 9 – Boston | 6 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (11,242) Columbia, SC |
| 02/23/2020 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | at No. 14 Kentucky | W 67–58 | 27–1 (14–0) | 20 – Cooke | 11 – Boston | 6 – Harris | Memorial Coliseum (7,174) Lexington, KY |
| 02/27/2020 6:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 1 | at Florida | W 100–67 | 28–1 (15–0) | 18 – Herbert Harrigan | 9 – Tied | 8 – Harris | O'Connell Center Gainesville, FL |
| 03/01/2020 Noon, ESPN2 | No. 1 | No. 12 Texas A&M | W 60–52 | 29–1 (16–0) | 20 – Herbert Harrigan | 12 – Boston | 6 – Harris | Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Columbia, SC |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| 03/06/2020 Noon, SECN | (1) No. 1 | vs. (9) Georgia Quarterfinals | W 89–56 | 30–1 | 16 – Herbert Harrigan | 10 – Boston | 7 – Henderson | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| 03/07/2020 5:00 pm, ESPNU | (1) No. 1 | vs. (5) No. 25 Arkansas Semifinals | W 90–64 | 31–1 | 21 – Henderson | 13 – Boston | 7 – Harris | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| 03/08/2020 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | (1) No. 1 | vs. (2) No. 9 Mississippi State Championship | W 76–62 | 32–1 | 15 – Herbert Harrigan | 11 – Tied | 10 – Harris | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA ended all play on March 12, 2020.

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 1 (20) | 1 (22) | 1 (26) | 1 (26) | 1 (27) | 1 (27) | 1 (27) | 1 (27) | 1 (27) | 1 (26) |
| Coaches | 10 | 10 | 10^ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 (12) | 2 (12) | 2 (12) | 2 (13) | 1 (17) | 1 (20) | 1 (20) | 1 (23) | 1 (27) | 1 (26) |
^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll
On December 31, 2020, during the 2020-21 home opener against Florida, the Gamecocks raised a championship banner recognising the mythical national championship claim by polls, located next to the 2017 NCAA championship banner. Following the 2021-22 season with an official NCAA championship, that season's NCAA championship banner was placed next to the 2019-20 banner, and is the same size as the official banners.