Maddy McDaniel out with illness for South Carolina vs Southern in March Madness
· Yahoo Sports
COLUMBIA — South Carolina women's basketball sophomore point guard Maddy McDaniel is out with an illness and won't play in the first round Women's NCAA Tournament game against Southern.
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The No. 1 Gamecocks (31-3) play No. 16 Southern (20-13) on March 21 (1 p.m., ABC) at Colonial Life Arena.
McDaniel didn't practice on March 20 and coach Dawn Staley said she hoped she would be fine for the game but she was listed as out on the availability report that published two hours before tip-off.
Adhel Tac, who hasn't played since Feb. 5, is also out. She's still wearing a medical boot on her leg foot.
"Maddy is still a little bit under the weather, but hopefully another day's rest, hopefully she'll be ready to go tomorrow," Staley said March 20.
No. 8 Clemson and No. 9 Southern Cal play in the other half of the bracket and the winners plays on March 23.
Maddy McDaniel stats, highlights for South Carolina
McDaniel is averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 assists, with 79 total assists and only 16 turnovers.
McDaniel is a huge piece of the offense and has been on a roll off the bench, helping out starting point guard Raven Johnson.
She was arguably the best player on the floor in the loss to Texas in the SEC Tournament championship game, finishing with 10 points, three assists, one steal and zero turnovers.
McDaniel plays well with or without Johnson, which has been a nice option for Staley. She can give Johnson a break or put Johnson in a more shooting guard role, feeding her hot hand instead of using her as the main passer.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Maddy McDaniel out with illness for South Carolina vs Southern in March Madness opener