GREENVILLE, S.C. — Chloe Kitts was extremely sincere when answering one query throughout South Carolina’s postgame press convention on Friday after beating Vanderbilt within the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, a lot to Daybreak Staley’s chagrin.
Kitts, a junior for the Gamecocks, was requested about her fourth quarter efficiency in opposition to the Commodores, the place she piled up buckets on her strategy to scoring a career-high 25 factors to go together with 10 rebounds.
She answered, after which awkwardness and hilarity ensued.
KITTS: “I used to be simply going on the market and enjoying assured. My coaches, and the purpose guard, stored saying ‘14,’ which is sort of get the ball to me. I simply delivered. I used to be simply going on the market.”
STALEY: “Thanks.”
KITTS: “What?”
STALEY: “You simply advised them our play.”
KITTS: “Sorry.”
But when Oklahoma — South Carolina’s opponent on Saturday within the SEC semifinals — was listening, it by no means confirmed.
South Carolina put the hammer down on the Sooners, profitable 93-75 to advance to the SEC Match title recreation for the sixth consecutive season. And Kitts once more performed fairly nicely, stacking up 10 factors, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal in simply 17 minutes of motion. And her protection was essential in slowing down Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers, an All-American who completed with simply seven factors on 2-of-10 capturing.
South Carolina will seem in a SEC-record sixth consecutive event championship recreation. It is also this system’s tenth look general, all since 2015.
56 bench factors, 50 paint factors for the Gamecocks, who’re seeing nice play currently rom Joyce Edwards & MiLaysia Fulwiley
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 8, 2025
Kitts is having her greatest season but in a South Carolina uniform, averaging 10 factors, 7.8 rebounds and two assists per recreation. Regardless of her press convention slip-up, Staley heaped reward on the 6-foot-2 ahead from Florida.
“I imply, that is actually who Chloe is. She’s beginning to play very constant basketball. She desires the ball in her fingers. She desires to be a play-maker. She desires to be the one that may rating it or dish it to a teammate… Chloe is robust sufficient mentally, bodily to have the ability to deal with the trials of this league.”
Kitts’ efficiency — and her newfound consistency — is one other instance of how deep the Gamecocks are. The roster is filled with proficient gamers and she or he’s starting to standout as March Insanity approaches. In her final six video games, she’s averaging 12.8 factors, 9.3 rebounds and three.5 assists whereas capturing 63.2 % from the ground.
And her humorous second within the press convention, and the sport that adopted it, is one other reminder that South Carolina is a authentic contender for the nationwide championship as soon as once more. And even when the Gamecocks are by accident freely giving their play calls, they’re nonetheless tough to beat.
