Staley: Top-ranked USC will be missing players vs. LSU

COLUMBIA (AP) - South Carolina coach Dawn Staley acknowledged Wednesday that her top-ranked team will be missing some players when the Gamecock face No. 13 LSU, though that was about she said about the situation.

"We've got a few people out, how about that?" Staley said Wednesday.

Staley did not say who won't play in the Southeastern Conference matchup between national championship coaches in Staley and Kim Mulkey, who is in her first season with the Tigers (14-1, 2-0).

South Carolina played short-handed Sunday against Mississippi State.

Gamecocks reserves LeLe Grissett, Saniya Rivers, Laeticia Amihere and Olivia Thompson were in virus protocols and sat out of the 80-68 win over Mississippi State.

Amihere, a 6-foot-4 junior who is generally Staley's first player off the bench. She started three games at point guard when Destanni Henderson was out with an injury last month. She is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 7.2 points a game. She's also third in steals (14) and blocks (17) this season.

Grissett has also been a regular part of Staley's rotation, although she missed the first nine games this season recovering from a leg injury suffered at the SEC Tournament last March. She's missed the last three games as part of virus protocols.

Pressed about the absences, Staley said, LSU has "one more day to prep for us and I'm hoping they're prepping for all 15 (players) who are eligible."