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          South Carolina Gamecocks' road to the women's Final Four as told by rapper Plies

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          • Kalan HooksApr 4, 2025, 11:02 AM ET

          Coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks are looking to win back-to-back titles in the women's NCAA tournament.

          An unlikely constant between last season's and this season's push for a title has added to South Carolina's spark in their Big Dance journey.

          None other than rapper Plies, who has been a big fan of the Gamecocks -- and Staley -- for quite some time now.

          At the beginning of South Carolina's journey to Tampa, the rapper sent the Hall of Fame coach an iced-out chain of an NCAA championship trophy with the years the Gamecocks have won the women's tournament under Staley (2017, 2022, 2024).

          A photo of Staley kissing the 2024 trophy followed by her name and the Bible verse Psalm 46:50 -- "God is within her, she will not fail!" -- is featured on the back. The rapper sent Staley off in style with a heartwarming message, describing her as a "hero."

          During the NCAA tournament, Plies has played an unnoticed role in South Carolina's road to the Final Four. Here's how the Gamecocks' journey to Tampa unfolded, as told by the rapper's social media posts.

          Duke vs. South Carolina

          Ahead of the highly anticipated Elite 8 matchup between South Carolina and Duke, Plies started his Sunday morning off with a prayer for the Gamecocks and Blue Devils.

          South Carolina forced Duke to shoot 1-of-18 on contested shots in the first half, helping give the Gamecocks a 26-22 halftime lead. Led by Chloe Kitts' 14 points, South Carolina's 54-50 win over Duke secured their fifth consecutive Final Four, tying the second-longest streak in NCAA tournament history.

          Though the Gamecocks committed 16 turnovers to the Blue Devils' 19, Plies was pleased with their focus in the Elite Eight and starting lineup that combined for 45 points in the win.

          Maryland vs. South Carolina

          The Gamecocks came out strong, scoring their first eight points in the paint before going cold, eventually falling behind in the first half to the Terrapins, 33-31. It marked the first NCAA tournament in which South Carolina trailed multiple games at halftime since 2017. MiLaysia Fulwiley led the Gamecocks' push to avoid being upset with 11 points in the fourth quarter to advance to the Elite Eight.

          However, Plies wasn't very impressed with the win and voiced his constructive criticism.

          "I better not see another damn TikTok video the rest of this weekend!!!! We need to be in the gym getting up shots," the rapper wrote on social media.

          Indiana vs. South Carolina

          Plies sat behind the South Carolina bench at Colonial Life Arena in a hard-to-miss pink sweater and snapback hat.

          The Gamecocks got off to a rocky start. In the first half, they went 2-of-8 on open shots and shot 35%from the field in total, culminating in a 26-24 halftime deficit against Indiana. Each of South Carolina's three regular-season losses came when it trailed at the half.

          But the Gamecocks soared in the second half, outscoring the Hoosiers 39-27 to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 with a 64-53 win.

          Plies expressed his first-half concern after the game, but he was still satisfied with the win.

          While at South Carolina's second-round matchup against the Hoosiers, Plies spotted a young fan's braids with beads that spelled each player's first name.