Phoenix Meets Columbia — A Bold First Step
A thrilling game that the women’s basketball team of Grand Canyon University (hereinafter referred to as GCU) will host its first game of the season on November 3, 2025, with the newly appointed head coach Winston Gandy. The team will travel to South Carolina to play the reigning powerhouse Gamecocks in a thrilling match in Columbia, Grand Canyon University Athletics.
It is not just a game to Gandy, who got to experience the perfect, 38-0 season that culminated in the 2024 national championship under Hall of Famer Dawn Staley as her assistant, in 2025 as the Gamecocks finished at 35-4, runners-up to the national title. And it is a proving ground.
A Call Scripted Large: Compare Yourself to What is Best
According to Gandy, the matchup was more than a game but a statement, which was evident after remembering the importance of the matchup between the Grand Canyon University Athletics. To the South Carolina team, which has gone to the Final Four in five straight seasons, won several of the national women’s college basketball titles, and whose legacy of excellence appears on par with setting the standard in NCAA women’s college basketball play, is a statement that GCU has no intention of remaining small.
In perspective: before the last season, the GCU has not faced a top-25 team since Duke in 201718. And so early in 202425 was No. 23 Oregon. Planting the season, however, with No. 1, or nearly, South Carolina portrays a transcendent advance in aspiration.
Context: Gandy’s Ascension and GCU’s Rising Arc
Gandy was officially named the 10th head coach of GCU on March 24, 2025, following a highly successful stint as an assistant at South Carolina. His coaching résumé includes roles at Rice, Duke, and experience in NBA player development with the Washington Wizards, encompassing a wide breadth of strategy, development, and elite-level experience.
Meanwhile, GCU closed out its 2024–25 campaign as Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season and tournament champions, going a perfect 16–0 in conference play and finishing 32–3 overall. That season ended with their first-ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance, a heart-wrenching first-round loss to Baylor (73–60).
Gandy inherits a program with momentum—but also one at a crossroads. The next evolution is clear: from rising WAC contender to Mountain West heavyweight to nationally recognized.
Why South Carolina? Learning from the Gold Standard
Gandy cites his time under Dawn Staley not just for technical proficiency but for philosophy.
Duke-to-South Carolina, Gandy absorbed a blueprint: “Play anybody, anywhere” to test, bond, and stretch your team before the conference grind. That approach, forged in a culture of toughness and excellence, now informs GCU’s new schedule strategy.
Moreover, South Carolina’s prowess is formidable. Coached by Staley since 2008, they’ve etched a legacy: three national titles (2017, 2022, 2024), nine SEC championships, and a striking 475–110 record over that stretch, an embodiment of sustained dominance.
Their home opener streak speaks volumes, unbeaten since 2010 at Colonial Life Arena, with average margins of victory in those openers reaching 52 points, even crushing No. 14 Maryland 114–76 last year.
For GCU, this game transcends season-opening hype. It’s a masterclass in culture, a chance to see where they currently stand and perhaps to begin reshaping expectations.
Beyond the Game: A Future Homecoming
Adding a poetic layer to the 2025 opener is the future return match: South Carolina will come to play at GCU in 2027–28. It’s not just a home game, it’s a symbolic passing of the torch, a mutual recognition of status, and an investment in the trajectory of GCU’s program.
Final Thoughts: Betting on Vision, Not Just Victory
Gandy’s vision is clear: build GCU into a buyer of games, not just a schedule-filler. His first-year program is setting a tone: embrace pressure, seek challenge, and grow from the games that scare you.
Yes, the odds favor South Carolina in this November opener. But the real story isn’t the scoreboard. It’s about what a mid-major like GCU is telling the country: we’re serious. We’re building. And we’re not afraid to test ourselves at the summit.
As the season unfolds, this game will either be a benchmark or a turning point. Either way, it signals that the Lopes have arrived not just in the Mountain West, but on the national radar.
