2016–17 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team

2016–17 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball
NCAA tournament National Champions SEC Tournament champions SEC regular season champions
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 1
AP	No. 3
Record	33–4 (14–2 SEC)
Head coach	Dawn Staley (9th season)
Assistant coaches	Lisa Boyer Nikki McCray-Penson Fred Chmiel
Home arena	Colonial Life Arena
Seasons ←  2015–16 2017–18  →

2016–17 SEC women's basketball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 3 South Carolina†	14	–	2		.875			33	–	4		.892
No. 7 Mississippi State	13	–	3		.813			34	–	5		.872
No. 18 Kentucky	11	–	5		.688			22	–	11		.667
No. 25 Missouri	11	–	5		.688			21	–	11		.656
Tennessee	10	–	6		.625			20	–	12		.625
Texas A&M	9	–	7		.563			22	–	12		.647
LSU	8	–	8		.500			20	–	12		.625
Auburn	7	–	9		.438			17	–	15		.531
Georgia	7	–	9		.438			16	–	15		.516
Ole Miss	6	–	10		.375			17	–	14		.548
Alabama	5	–	11		.313			22	–	14		.611
Florida	5	–	11		.313			15	–	16		.484
Vanderbilt	4	–	12		.250			14	–	16		.467
Arkansas	2	–	14		.125			13	–	17		.433
† 2017 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll

The 2016–17 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks, led by ninth-year head coach Dawn Staley, played their home games at the Colonial Life Arena and were members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 33–4, 11–2 in SEC play to win the SEC regular season and tournament championship to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA women's tournament. They defeated UNC Ashville and Arizona State in the first and second rounds, Quinnipiac in the sweet sixteen and Florida State in the elite eight to advance to their second final four in school history. In the national semifinal in Dallas they defeated Stanford and beat SEC rival Mississippi State in the final to win their first NCAA National Championship. A'ja Wilson was named the Most Outstanding Player in the National Championship Game.

Roster

2016–17 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown G 0 Victoria Patrick 5 ft 8 in(1.73 m) Fr Edgewater Orlando, FL G 1 Bianca Cuevas-Moore 5 ft 6 in(1.68 m) Jr Nazareth Regional Bronx, NY G 3 Kaela Davis 6 ft 2 in(1.88 m) RS Jr Buford Georgia Tech Suwanee, GA G 4 Doniyah Cliney 6 ft 0 in(1.83 m) RS So Malcolm X Shabazz Newark, NJ G 10 Allisha Gray 6 ft 0 in(1.83 m) RS Jr Washington County North Carolina Sandersville, GA G 12 Araion Bradshaw 5 ft 6 in(1.68 m) Fr Tabor Academy Hyde Park, MA G 15 Tiffany Davis 5 ft 7 in(1.7 m) RS Jr Westbury Christian Houston, TX F 21 Mikiah Herbert Harrigan 6 ft 2 in(1.88 m) Fr Flanagan Pembroke Pines, FL F 22 A'ja Wilson 6 ft 5 in(1.96 m) Jr Heathwood Hall Hopkins, SC F 35 Alexis Jennings  6 ft 2 in(1.88 m) Jr Sparkman Kentucky Madison, AL C 41 Alaina Coates 6 ft 4 in(1.93 m) Sr Dutch Fork Irmo, SC G 44 India Farmer 6 ft 0 in(1.83 m) Sr North Myrtle Beach North Myrtle Beach, SC G 52 Tyasha Harris 5 ft 10 in(1.78 m) Fr Heritage Christian Noblesville, IN	Head coach Dawn Staley (Virginia) Assistant coach(es) Lisa Boyer (Ithaca) Nikki McCray-Penson (Tennessee) Fred Chmiel (Alaska–Anchorage) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster

Schedule

^[1]

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
11/06/2016* 1:30 pm	No. 4	Benedict	W 120–49		Colonial Life Arena   Columbia, SC
Regular season
11/14/2016* 6:00 pm	No. 4	at No. 7  Ohio State	W 92–80	1–0	Value City Arena  (6,683) Columbus, OH
11/20/2016* 3:00 pm	No. 4	Hampton Hall of Fame Women's Challenge	W 92–38	2–0	Colonial Life Arena (11,795) Columbia, SC
11/21/2016* 7:00 pm	No. 3	Maine Hall of Fame Women's Challenge	W 79–42	3–0	Colonial Life Arena (11,057) Columbia, SC
11/22/2016* 7:00 pm	No. 3	Saint Peter's Hall of Fame Women's Challenge	W 93–38	4–0	Colonial Life Arena (11,455) Columbia, SC
11/27/2016* 1:00 pm,  ESPN2	No. 3	vs. No. 4  Louisville Hall of Fame Women's Challenge	W 83–59	5–0	MassMutual Center   Springfield, MA
12/01/2016* 7:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 3	at No. 14  Texas Big 12/SEC Women's Challenge	W 76–67	6–0	Frank Erwin Center  (3,330) Austin, TX
12/04/2016* 2:00 pm,  ACCN Extra	No. 3	at  Duke	L 63–74	6–1	Cameron Indoor Stadium  (6,036) Durham, NC
12/11/2016* 3:00 pm,  SECN	No. 6	Minnesota	W 98–58	7–1	Colonial Life Arena (12,461) Columbia, SC
12/15/2016* 7:00 pm, SECN	No. 6	Clemson Rivalry	W 83–61	8–1	Colonial Life Arena (11,916) Columbia, SC
12/18/2016* 2:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 6	No. 9  UCLA	W 66–57	9–1	Colonial Life Arena (13,367) Columbia, SC
12/21/2016* 6:00 pm	No. 6	at  Savannah State	W 70–30	10–1	Tiger Arena  (1,411) Savannah, GA
01/01/2017 2:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 6	Alabama	W 93–45	11–1 (1–0)	Colonial Life Arena (12,069) Columbia, SC
01/05/2017 7:00 pm	No. 5	at  Auburn	W 73–47	12–1 (2–0)	Auburn Arena  (2,144) Auburn, AL
01/08/2017 12:00 pm,  ESPNU	No. 5	at  Florida	W 81–62	13–1 (3–0)	O'Connell Center  (2,232) Gainesville, FL
01/12/2017 7:00 pm, SECN	No. 5	Georgia	W 66–63	14–1 (4–0)	Colonial Life Arena (12,043) Columbia, SC
01/15/2017 3:00 pm	No. 5	at  LSU	W 84–61	15–1 (5–0)	Maravich Center  (2,840) Baton Rouge, LA
01/19/2017 7:00 pm, SECN	No. 5	Ole Miss	W 65–46	16–1 (6–0)	Colonial Life Arena (12,518) Columbia, SC
01/23/2017 7:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 5	No. 4  Mississippi State	W 64–61	17–1 (7–0)	Colonial Life Arena (13,120) Columbia, SC
01/26/2017 7:00 pm, SECN	No. 5	Georgia	W 62–44	18–1 (8–0)	Stegeman Coliseum  (3,540) Athens, GA
01/30/2017 7:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 4	Tennessee	L 74–76	18–2 (8–1)	Colonial Life Arena (13,690) Columbia, SC
02/02/2017 7:00 pm, SECN	No. 4	at No. 25  Kentucky	W 75–63	19–2 (9–1)	Memorial Coliseum  (5,533) Lexington, KY
02/05/2017 2:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 4	at  Arkansas	W 79–49	20–2 (10–1)	Bud Walton Arena  (1,650) Fayetteville, AR
02/09/2017 7:00 pm	No. 6	Auburn	W 60–41	21–2 (11–1)	Colonial Life Arena (13,360) Columbia, SC
02/13/2017* 9:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 6	at No. 1  Connecticut	L 55–66	21–3	Gampel Pavilion  (10,167) Storrs, CT
02/16/2017 7:00 pm, SECN	No. 6	Vanderbilt	W 82–51	22–3 (12–1)	Colonial Life Arena (13,089) Columbia, SC
02/19/2017 3:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 6	at  Missouri	L 60–62	22–4 (12–2)	Mizzou Arena  (5,789) Columbia, MO
02/23/2017 9:00 pm, SECN	No. 7	at  Texas A&M	W 80–64	23–4 (13–2)	Reed Arena  (6,402) College Station, TX
02/26/2017 2:00 pm, ESPNU	No. 7	No. 22 Kentucky	W 95–87	24–4 (14–2)	Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Columbia, SC
SEC women's tournament
03/03/2017 12:00 pm, SECN	(1) No. 5	vs. (8) Georgia Quarterfinals	W 72–48	25–4	Bon Secours Wellness Arena   Greenville, SC
03/04/2017 5:00 pm, ESPNU	(1) No. 5	vs. (4) No. 20 Kentucky Semifinals	W 89–77	26–4	Bon Secours Wellness Arena (7,554) Greenville, SC
03/05/2017 2:30 pm, ESPN	(1) No. 5	vs. (2) No. 6 Mississippi State Championship Game	W 59–49	27–4	Bon Secours Wellness Arena (7,715) Greenville, SC
NCAA women's tournament
03/17/2017* 5:00 pm, ESPN2	(1 S) No. 3	(16 S)  UNC Asheville First Round	W 90–40	28–4	Colonial Life Arena  Columbia, SC
03/19/2017* 7:00 pm, ESPN	(1 S) No. 3	(8 S)  Arizona State Second Round	W 71–68	29–4	Colonial Life Arena (8,276) Columbia, SC
03/25/2017* 4:00 pm, ESPN	(1 S) No. 3	vs. (12 S)  Quinnipiac Sweet Sixteen	W 100–58	30–4	Stockton Arena   Stockton, CA
03/27/2017* 9:00 pm, ESPN	(1 S) No. 3	vs. (3 S) No. 10  Florida State Elite Eight	W 71–64	31–4	Stockton Arena (3,134) Stockton, CA
03/31/2017* 7:30 pm, ESPN2	(1 S) No. 3	vs. (2 L) No. 6  Stanford Final Four	W 62–53	32–4	American Airlines Center   Dallas, TX
04/02/2017* 6:00 pm, ESPN	(1 S) No. 3	vs. (2 O) No. 7 Mississippi State Championship Game	W 67–55	33–4	American Airlines Center (19,229) Dallas, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=Stockton Region. All times are in Eastern Time.

Rankings

Main article: 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings

Ranking movement
Legend:██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.

Poll	Pre	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6	Wk 7	Wk 8	Wk 9	Wk 10	Wk 11	Wk 12	Wk 13	Wk 14	Wk 15	Wk 16	Wk 17	Wk 18	Wk 19	Final
AP	4	4	3	3	6	6	6	6	5	5	5	5	4	6	6	7	5	4	3	N/A
Coaches	3	3	3	3	6	6	6	6	5	5	5	4	6	6	5	7	5	4	4	1

Team players drafted into the WNBA

Round	Pick	Player	WNBA club
1	2	Alaina Coates	Chicago Sky
1	4	Allisha Gray	Dallas Wings
1	10	Kaela Davis	Dallas Wings

See also

• 2016–17 South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team

References

1. "2016-2017 Schedule". www.GamecocksOnline.com. University of South Carolina. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017.