On Thanksgiving Day, we’ll be blessed one of the tastiest treats in women’s college basketball: a motivated South Carolina team.

Stung by now-No. 1 UCLA on Sunday, the No. 4 Gamecocks (5-1) should arrive for the Fort Myers Tip Off eager to remind the nation that they’re still the defending champs. South Carolina, participating in the Island Division, will have two opportunities to reclaim their dominance, first against No. 15 Iowa State (5-1) on Thursday, Nov. 28 and then against Purdue (4-1) on Saturday, Nov. 30. MTSU (4-1) is the fourth team participating in the Island Division.

The four teams competing in the Shell Division, with games on Friday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 30, are Michigan (5-1), Belmont (2-3), Virginia Tech (5-1) and Davidson (3-3). All games will be held at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, FL.

South Carolina scrutiny

When you’ve lost for the first time in 44 games and 604 days, that loss feels like a crisis. That sense of crisis also is reflective of the standard set by South Carolina and head coach Dawn Staley. Excellence is so expected that anything less is cause for alarm.

But most likely, South Carolina’s loss to UCLA on Sunday was the wake up call the Gamecocks needed. The trip to Fort Myers can be a re-set for South Carolina, where the team rediscovers the sense of urgency, resiliency and togetherness that defined last season’s team.

It will be interesting, however, to see if Staley chooses to experiment with lineups, rotations and playing time, looking to find groups that better amplify each other’s talents. The Gamecocks’ depth, an advantage during last season’s title run, could be an obstacle this season, especially if players need more time on the court together to establish better rhythm and cohesion. Against UCLA, it seemed Staley only trusted senior guards Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall. Sharpshooting sophomore guard Tessa Johnson is forcing her way into Staley’s circle of trust, consistently providing instant shooting off the bench. Possibly, the Gamecocks could use her shooting gravity in the starting group.

How sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley responds to her limited opportunities on Sunday also will be worth watching. Last season, after Staley sent a message to the then-freshman through extended time on the bench during an early-season game, Fulwiley absorbed the lesson, adjusted her game and emerged as one of the Gamecocks’ most valuable contributors. This season, she might be South Carolina’s most talented player. They’ll not only need her in Fort Myers, but throughout the season.

Can Crooks cause further Carolina spiral?

Iowa State sophomore center Audi Crooks has the potential to disrupt South Carolina’s desire to return to their signature dominance. She’s fresh off a 33-point performance and game-winning basket.

Last season, the Gamecocks had trouble with then-Utah star Alissa Pili, who dropped 37 points on South Carolina in a mid-December matchup. Could Crooks do something similar? Her game is different from Pili’s, as her arsenal of low-post moves is not accompanied by the shooting and driving prowess that Pili possesses. Yet, like Pili, Crooks is a rare offensive talent, whose fundamental style could prove impervious to Gamecocks’ interior length and athleticism. With her graceful footwork and fakes, Crooks could send South Carolina into a second-straight game full of frustration.

But, considering Iowa State recently fell to Northern Iowa and required a Crooks’ game winner to outlast Drake, the Cyclones probably do not have enough outside of the superb sophomore to take down what’s sure to be a Gamecocks team overflowing with intention.

Young Wolverines highlight up-and-comers to watch

Even if the Island Division opener between South Carolina and Iowa State will be the main attraction in Fort Myers, there are some other players to keep an eye on during the three-day slate of games in Southwest Florida.

After playing South Carolina tough in the season opener, Michigan has won five-straight games, propelled by a trio of freshman guards in Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mia Holloway. Swords leads the Wolverines with 18.7 points per game; she’s also averaging 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Olson is totaling 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Holloway is the Wolverines’ assists leader with 4.8 per game, while also contributing 10.3 points and 2.5 rebounds.

A mostly-veteran Virginia Tech team also is benefitting from the play of a youngster. Sophomore guard Carleigh Wenzel, who provided solid bench minutes for the Hokies last season, has blossomed into one of the team’s go-to scorers. She’s putting up a team-leading 15.8 points per game, with many of her points coming via trips to the foul line as she puts pressure on the opposing defenses. She’s currently second in the ACC in free throw attempts and makes.

Another freshman is doing damage for Davidson. Forward Candice Lienafa is averaging 11 points per game and shooting better than 60 percent from the field for the Wildcats.

Tournament schedules

All games held at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, FL and available through Women’s Sports Network, unless otherwise noted.

Island Division

Thursday, Nov. 28

South Carolina vs. Iowa State (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX)

Purdue vs. MTSU (4:30 p.m. ET)

Saturday, Nov. 30

South Carolina vs. Purdue (11 a.m. ET)

MTSU vs. Iowa State (1:30 p.m. ET)

Shell Division

Friday, Nov. 29

Michigan vs. Belmont (2 p.m. ET)

Virginia Tech vs. Davidson (4:30 p.m. ET)

Saturday, Nov. 30

Third Place Game (5 p.m. ET)

Championship Game (7:30 p.m. ET)

UConn has produced a plethora of stars who have become superstars, from Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird to Maya Moore to Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.

Currently, Paige Bueckers is the star who shines brightest at UConn. She is the top WNBA Draft prospect and leads the team in minutes played, points scored and assists. The only thing left for Bueckers to accomplish is a national championship.

For her to achieve the accomplishment she’s been working towards her entire collegiate career, she’ll need to rely heavily on Sarah Strong, a freshman forward who has just stepped on campus.

The Huskies are Stronger with Sarah

Strong is the Huskies’ most-recent budding star, and she has taken off like a rocket during the first five games of her career. She is averaging 15.4 points, eight rebounds and 4.2 assists per game and had her best performance when her head coach, Geno Auriemma, needed it most. In UConn’s matchup versus the Fairleigh Dickinson, Strong scored a career-high 20 points in the win, helping Auriemma reach 1,217 all-time wins, giving him the most victories in NCAA Division I basketball history.

The accomplishment is a grand one, but when you play at UConn, those kinds of achievements and standards are commonplace. This season, the pressure is on UConn to win it all in this championship-or-bust campaign for Bueckers, and under that pressure, Strong has shined bright like a diamond.

Strong has made an immediate two-way impact

Strong quickly has established herself as an elite scoring threat in the paint. She moves with the speed and agility of a ballerina on the block, but when she drives inside she strikes hard like a hammer. Her passing ability and touch are already at an elite level. How she sees the floor is an intangible that cannot be taught. She repeatedly makes the perfect read and finds her guards for easy buckets near the rim when she handles the ball up top.

The guard she often feeds is Bueckers, and this new tandem has worked together in perfect harmony. Whether Strong is just setting screens for Bueckers or switching things up and working as the the handler in pick-and-roll game, the combination becomes impossible to contain.

The sweat equity the pair has put into their partnership was evident in the opening matchup against Boston University, where Strong was dominant and ended the night with 17 points, six steals, four rebounds and three assists.

After the debut, Auriemma discussed what he saw from his freshman during his on-court interview with SNY:

Yeah. The big thing about about Sarah is that she’s going to score her points because she’s a natural scorer. But the things that she makes happen for the entire team, whether that’s a great pass that she’ll make or a couple of the steals that she got that you saw. She’s just an impactful player and I like when she’s aggressive like she was today, and I think today’s about what, hopefully, is the start of what we’re going to expect to see in every game.

Strong also has impressed defensively. Despite her size, she can be a tyrant on the perimeter and is excellent at jumping in passing lanes and successfully gambling to steal the ball. She is averaging 3.2 steals per game.

Although her tools are still raw, it’s clear she has more than enough to be the future of this iconic program.

What’s next for Strong?

Besides earning more reps and facing tougher competition, all Strong has to do is continue to be a sponge and absorb the knowledge Auriemma and her teammates are bestowing on her. So far, she’s doing just that, appearing ready to take on any challenge she has ahead of her.

Once she figures it all out and becomes the No. 1 option on this team, potentially as early as next season, she will be the best big in the nation. For now, she’ll have to settle for rookie phenom.

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The WNBL’s Indigenous Round was great, as some teams turned things around and others showed that they are close to kicking things into higher gear. The Indigenous-inspired jerseys were beautiful, and the basketball was as well. Here are the takeaways from Round 4 of WNBL play:

Keeping the Spirit up

With New York Liberty and Australian national team head coach Sandy Brondello watching from the stands, the title-holders and the league-leaders squared off on Sunday, Nov. 24 in what was supposed to be an exciting ending to the Indigenous Round of games. Bendigo Spirit vs. Southside Flyers delivered on its promise, with Flyers taking an early lead and holding to it for 30 minutes, only to lose to the Spirit 79-71 following a big game by Veronica Burton. In her third pro season, the former Northwestern guard came to Australia following a solid year on the Connecticut Sun, who picked her up this year after the Dallas Wings waived her in May. Given more playing time than in the W, Burton is averaging 11.8 points, 5.5 boards and 4.3 dimes per game, and has been an integral part of her team’s success. The same was the case on Sunday, as she got 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Shaneice Swain should be WNBA-bound

We already wrote about her last week, but she just doesn’t allow us to leave her alone, getting better with each game. Shaneice Swain, whose draft rights are owned by the Los Angeles Sparks after they selected her 14th overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft, is averaging 17.2 points, 2.8 boards, 3.6 dimes and one block per game. After beginning the season on the bench, she now not only is very much a starter, but also has become the focal point for the Sydney Flames.

In the team’s last game, a 84-78 loss to the Perth Lynx, she had 26 points and drained eight 3s, good for fifth-best in league history. Unfortunately for her (and the Flames), that wasn’t enough, as her team was up for most of the game, only to collapse in the fourth quarter. Still, it was a good showing and a sign that Swain and her team are improving.

League standings

1. Bendigo Spirit (6-0)

2. Perth Lynx (3-1)

3. Townsville Fire (2-2)

4. Geelong United (2-3)

5. Southside Flyers (2-3)

6. Canberra Capitals (2-4)

7. Sydney Flames (1-3)

8. Adelaide Lightning (1-4)