Dawn Staley proved spot on in South Carolina opener after bold Chloe Kitts warning

South Carolina women’s basketball star Chloe Kitts shined in the Gamecocks’ season-opening win over Michigan, which came a month after Dawn Staley declared she was in midseason form

South Carolina women’s basketball phenom Chloe Kitts didn’t take long to prove head coach Dawn Staley’s bold declaration right.

On Monday, No. 1 seed South Carolina narrowly avoided a colossal upset to Michigan, defeating the Wolverines 68-62 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Kitts was integral in the Gamecocks’ win, leading the team in both points (19) and rebounds (14) in 14 minutes played.

The strong performance should come as no surprise, considering the high praise that Kitts received from Staley in the leadup to the 2024-25 campaign. Last month, the 54-year-old informed reporters that the star forward was already in midseason form and ready to assume a larger role this year.

One day later, Kitts shined in an exhibition game versus Memphis, recording 15 points and 13 rebounds in a 106-63 win. When asked earlier this week what she’s improved on the most over the offseason, the 20-year-old replied: “Confidence.

“My team, my coaches help with that … and my body, last year I was falling every possession.”

After graduating early from high school, Kitts failed to make a sizable impact her freshman year, averaging only 1.6 points over 18 games. But her sophomore season bore better results, as she averaged 9.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists while starting in 31 of 37 games.

If the Gamecocks are to replicate their success from last year’s undefeated season, Kitts will need to continue to carry the load without the help of several star teammates – in particular Kamilla Cardoso. Following a dominant 2023-24 campaign, the Brazilian entered her name in the 2024 WNBA Draft, in which she was selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 3 overall pick.

Speaking to members of the media on the heels of Monday’s win, Kitts conceded that Cardoso’s absence was noticeable on the court. “It’s a really big difference,” she said. “I’ve never played with someone like Kamilla. It was awesome playing with her.

“That presence is missing. I mean, she grabbed boards for us. She put up all of those points for us.”

Kitts is confident, however, that the Gamecocks will be just fine without Cardoso. “We just need to come together,” she added. “All of our posts are different on our team, and we just need to show what we can do. Everybody needs to come and play every game and we’ll be fine.”

Staley expressed a similar sentiment, stating: “Obviously we’ve got some players that have to make adjustments to certain roles on our basketball team, and that takes a little bit of time.

“I saw a little bit of a lack of experience, even for our experienced players. It’s different roles for them … [but] you’ve gotta perform. We’ve gotta know what we’re getting from our starters.”