No. 1 South Carolina women's basketball questions before undefeated showdown vs No. 2 LSU

COLUMBIA — After an 81-77 win at No. 4 UConn last week, South Carolina women's basketball has a quick turnaround for another key matchup against No. 2 LSU.

The Gamecocks (23-0, 10-0 SEC) and the Tigers (23-0, 11-0) are the only undefeated teams remaining in Division I basketball, and they will play Sunday (2 p.m., ESPN) at Colonial Life Arena for the No. 1 spot in the SEC. South Carolina holds the longest active winning streak in the country at 29 games, and they have won 38 straight at home.

As the postseason rapidly approaches, here are the biggest questions for South Carolina, from breakout players to biggest victories:

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Who is the Gamecocks' best win of the season?

South Carolina has faced four ranked opponents, and three are currently in the top 10. However, No. 6 Stanford's shocking loss to Washington last week makes the Gamecocks' overtime victory over the then-No. 2 Cardinal less impressive than it once seemed.

Maryland, which was ranked No. 17 when the Gamecocks routed them 81-56 in November, has risen to No. 8 after wins over No. 13 Ohio State and No. 12 Michigan. The sheer margin of victory makes that a statement win for South Carolina, but the Terps were also still settling in multiple transfers early in the season after losing last season's stars Angel Reese (LSU) and Ashley Owusu (Virginia Tech) in the transfer portal. A rematch would likely look less lopsided.

Even if the Gamecocks beat LSU, UConn will remain their most important win. The No. 4 Huskies played without star Azzi Fudd (knee) and Caroline Ducharme (concussion), but it's not as though the remaining roster is non-competitive. UConn's starting lineup included two former five-star prospects in Aaliyah Edwards and Aubrey Griffin, reigning Big East defensive player of the year Nika Muhl and two-time All-Big Ten first team selection Dorka Juhasz, who transferred from Ohio State.

Doubling down on last season's NCAA championship victory was particularly impactful mentally: It was the Gamecocks' first win on the Huskies' home court and gave them a 4-1 advantage over the last five meetings in the series.

What is South Carolina's biggest concern for LSU matchup?

After the controversial officiating in South Carolina's win over UConn, avoiding another 20-plus foul-game is absolutely essential against LSU. The two teams play a very similar style with heavy emphasis on rebounding and second-chance points: South Carolina and LSU are respectively No. 2 and 3 in the country in offensive rebounding, No. 5 and 3 in defensive rebounding and No. 1 and 2 in rebounding margin.

That means the matchup is going to be ultra-physical in the paint, and a whistle-happy referee crew could be devastating. Center Kamilla Cardoso fouled out against UConn, and forward Laeticia Amihere came close with four. Starting guard Brea Beal also had to play limited minutes after picking up two fouls in the first quarter. Both teams shoot similarly from the free throw line — 70% for South Carolina, 69.3% for LSU — so a close game could come down to who gets to the line more often.

It goes both ways, though: forward LaDazhia Williams fouled out in two of LSU's last five games and logged at least three in 15 of 23 games. Freshman guard Flau'jae Johnson also struggles with foul trouble, fouling out last week against Georgia and logging three or more fouls in eight games.

Which young players have impressed the most?

The South Carolina underclassmen are peaking at exactly the right time. Sophomore Bree Hall put up a career-high 18 points in a win over Alabama on Jan. 29, and redshirt freshman Raven Johnson followed her up with a career-high 14 points against UConn.

Johnson is unquestionably the breakout star of the season, and her rise has been meteoric since the start of conference play. Coming off a season-ending knee injury in 2021-22, she was tentative in her first several appearances but now looks visibly more confident up against even the most elite opponents. After shooting 50% or better from the field just twice in the first 15 games, the point guard has averaged 52% over the last eight. She also leads South Carolina in assists averaging 3.5 per game.

Though she didn't see the court against UConn, freshman Ashlyn Watkins has had a major impact in SEC play and could see an expanded role come tournament time. She has been first off the bench twice and averages 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds playing 12 minutes per game.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball questions before LSU showdown