The Gamecocks lost only one game all season—a 66-64 defeat against Texas. Dawn Staley’s starting five of Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, Tessa Johnson, Joyce Edwards, and Madina Okot is one of the best starting lineups in the country, and they have been the driving force behind South Carolina’s wins.
Staley is relying on her starters to play heavy minutes because the bench is thin and unproven. The team sorely misses Chloe Kitts, who is out for the season with a knee injury. South Carolina only averages 15.9 bench points per game.
At this point, the only way to improve the bench play is through internal growth. Freshman Ayla McDowell has shown flashes of the consistent bench presence South Carolina needs.
Ayla McDowell is learning on South Carolina’s bench
McDowell is one of only two freshmen on South Carolina’s veteran-heavy roster. She joined the program as a five-star recruit and a top-25 ranked player in the Class of 2025 espnW 100. So far, McDowell hasn’t found a consistent role with the Gamecocks yet. In some games, she played between 17 and 27 minutes. In others, she only saw a handful of minutes on the court.
When McDowell plays significant minutes, it is usually because South Carolina is winning by a sizeable margin or because the team is down key players. When South Carolina was down Tessa Johnson and Agot Makeer against North Carolina Central, McDowell played a season-high 27 minutes off the bench and finished the game with 16 points on 5-9 shooting from the field. All five of her made field goals were 3-pointers.
This wasn’t the first time McDowell filled up the stat sheet when she got the chance to play extended minutes. She recorded 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in her very first game and followed that up with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals against the Bowling Green Falcons. McDowell also recorded 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal against Winthrop. Her stat line against Queens looked very similar with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.
McDowell may not be a star for the Gamecocks this season, but she has shown flashes of her potential and could grow into a reliable bench presence throughout her freshman year.
McDowell’s 3-point shot, in particular, could make her a valuable asset off the bench. The only players who have attempted more threes than McDowell so far are Tessa Johnson, Raven Johnson, and Ta’Niya Latson. If McDowell can consistently hit some threes off the bench and play solid defense, it could be a real game-changer for South Carolina.