SOUTH CAROLINA – Maryam Dauda announced Wednesday that she will join Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia for the 2024-25 season.
The South Carolina Gamecocks went undefeated in the 2024-25 season and finished off their perfect season by winning the NCAA March Madness Tournament in an 87-75 win over the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
Originally from Bentonville, Arkansas, the 6-foot-4 forward spent two years at the University of Arkansas before entering the transfer portal in April.
Coming out of high school, Dauda was a five-star recruit ranked No. 13 overall in the class of 2021 according to ESPN’s HoopGurlz. Dauda suffered a torn ACL in her senior year of high school leading her to redshirt for her first year at Arkansas.
As a redshirt freshman, Dauda averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds while recording 22 blocks and 11 steals.
As a redshirt sophomore, Dauda started all 33 games for the Razorbacks. She averaged 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds while recording 74 blocks and 24 steals.
In the Razorback’s home game against the Gamecocks, Dauda recorded 19 points and 9.8 rebounds.
Though the Razorbacks missed the NCAA March Madness Tournament, they were invited to the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) where they played the University of Tulsa in the first round. The Razorbacks fell to the Golden Hurricanes 80-62.
The addition of Dauda to their championship team is Staley’s first transfer portal move of the offseason. Due to her redshirt status, Dauda will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Amara Bullard is a Marketing + Media student at Loyola University in Chicago aspiring to work in basketball operations.
