After the Gamecocks lost to the Oklahoma Sooners, Dawn Staley made a big adjustment for the matchup with fifth-ranked Vanderbilt. She started freshman Agot Makeer in place of Madina Okot, opting to go with a smaller lineup.
The move was very successful. It allowed the Gamecocks to get off to a great start, eased some of the pressure on Okot, allowed her to gain confidence after a bad game, and added a strong scoring punch to the bench unit.
Madina Okot struggled against Oklahoma
Okot finished the game against Oklahoma with just six points and four rebounds. Both numbers are tied for season lows. She also played only 17 minutes, which is well below her average of 24.1 minutes per game.
After the win over Vanderbilt, Dawn Staley was very clear that benching Okot wasn’t a punishment for her struggles against Oklahoma. It was an opportunity for her to slow down and play with less pressure to excel…