Gandy era begins at No. 2 South Carolina

Monday, November 3

Columbia, S.C.

5 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

South Carolina

Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU

11/2/2025 9:24:00 AM | Women's Basketball

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GCU's 1st test of 2025-26 pits Lopes against last season's national runner-up

By: Nick Macdonald

The Grand Canyon women's basketball program will play its first regular-season game under new head coach Winston Gandy when it opens Monday at national runner-up South Carolina, where Gandy assisted head coach Dawn Staley.

AT A GLANCE

The Lopes brings a new look in a new conference in 2025-26. GCU announced its move to the Mountain West on July 8 and is immediately eligible for conference championships and postseason play. GCU was a member of the WAC from 2013-25, winning its first conference championship regular-season and tournament titles last season.
There are 14 newcomers on Winston Gandy's first roster as head coach in Phoenix. The Lopes brought in experience from all over the college and international landscape, featuring Favor Ayodele (Tennessee), Chloe Mann (Cincinnati), Casey Valenti-Paea (Virginia), Karley Johnson (Indiana), Julianna LaMendola (Indiana), Faith Carson (Ohio State), Ines Zounia (France U-19 National Team), Sifa Joyeuse (Rwanda National Team) and Anisa Jeffries (Mexico Youth Nations League 3x3).
GCU's 2025-26 nonconference schedule is the toughest in program history, with an average opponent NET ranking of 120 (based on 2024-25). That is 109 spots higher than GCU's average opponent NET over the last five seasons combined. The Lopes will travel to South Carolina, Oregon and Gonzaga, and also face California and UTSA over the Thanksgiving holiday in Frisco, Texas.
The Lopes were tabbed seventh in the Mountain West preseason media poll, garnering one first-place vote. GCU sophomore guard Chloe Mann was named Preseason Mountain West Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the Preseason All-Mountain West Team.
GCU announced an expansive TV partnership with Arizona's Family in August to become the official broadcast home of GCU Athletics. Seventeen sports across campus will broadcast on multiple outlets across the Valley, making GCU the only Division I university to have an exclusive partnership with broadcast rights across Arizona.
Monday's game will be the first ever on GCU Radio Network for women's basketball. Jim Howell will serve as the play-by-play voice for all GCU road games this season. Listen here.

THIS GAME

GCU enters the 2025-26 season at national powerhouse South Carolina on Monday at Colonial Life Arena. The trip to Columbia is the first in program history and the first meeting with the Gamecocks.
The meeting will be a familiar site for GCU first-year head coach Winston Gandy, who was a Gamecocks assistant coach under Dawn Staley from 2023-25, helping win the 2024 national championship.
The season opener is the first on the road for GCU in the Division I era (since 2013-14) and the first overall since the 2012-13 season.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina has earned its way to the national championship game in each of the last two seasons, winning the 2023-24 title and being runner-up last season.
The Gamecocks were picked second in the SEC Preseason Media Poll with two players on the All-SEC Preseason First Team (Joyce Edwards and Ta'Niya Latson).
Hall of Fame head coach Dawn Staley enters her 26th season overall and 18th with South Carolina. She has compiled a 475-110 record with the Gamecocks and has lost 16 games since the 2019-20 season.
Point guard Raven Johnson was named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List. Johnson is one of seven Gamecocks returning from last season's team.
South Carolina announced that All-America honorable mention Chloe Kitts will this season due to a knee injury.