The only women’s sport I usually take an interest in is soccer. I have been to several of the games, here, and I find that the level of talent is comparable to the men’s team and the games are quite enjoyable. The same cannot be said for the women’s basketball team. The level of talent is head and shoulders above the men’s team, although I have the utmost faith in coach Martin to bring us to relevance.

What makes women’s soccer so interesting, in comparison to other sports, is the performance of the women’s national team. We have one of the best Olympic and World Cup women’s teams and with stars like Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan it's hard not to notice these ladies.

The exact same effect is taking place here in Columbia. The Lady Gamecocks basketball team is currently ranked sixth in the nation. They have key wins over nibnth-ranked Kentucky and 16th-ranked Vanderbilt, with a record of 20-2 and 8-1 in conference. This is a performance strong enough to give the team a current  hold on first place in the Southeastern Conference standings. The eighth-ranked Lady Vols are in second place, one game behind the Gamecocks. This could set up for a tremendous matchup to conclude the season when South Carolina travels to Knoxville to play for what may be the regular season championship.

Dawn Staley is the primary reason for the great success of the Gamecocks. With five seasons under her belt, the Naismith Hall of Famer has truly built something special. On the floor leaders like Aleighsa Welch, with her average of 13.4 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game, have carried this team. Alaina Coates has also come on strong with solid performances every week, winning four freshmen of the week honors in the SEC. Coates is a very talented hometown product out of nearby Irmo.

The South Carolina basketball team has something special this season, better than even Dawn Staley expected. If you have not been to a game, now is the time to see these ladies play. With consecutive tournament appearances the past two season, each with 25 plus wins, a third consecutive appearance is in order. Eyes are set on an elite eight, final four and even the national championship, all within the realm of possibilities.

With such a terrific year one might expect the talent to slide off, but the Lady Gamecocks are only getting stronger under coach Dawn Staley and they are here to stay as one of the best teams in the SEC and the nation. The Gamecocks have the number four rated recruiting class in the country with their eyes set on number one ESPN 100 recruit, A’ja Wilson. Landing Wilson could jump the Gamecocks to the best recruiting class in the nation and set them up for future runs at another national title for the University of South Carolina. Wilson is a Columbia native who has visited campus, officially, four times – most recently, this past Sunday for the Gamecocks' victory over Missouri. The future is bright for South Carolina and whether we take it all this year, or in years to come, it is great to be a Lady Gamecock.