Clemson women’s basketball was in prime position for a postseason push, sitting one game under .500 in ACC play and eyeing an NCAA Tournament bid.
But after losing four straight games — including three in a row by double digits — those hopes have faded.
The struggles have been glaring. A 94-65 blowout loss to Boston College highlighted defensive issues, and close calls, like a 2-point loss to No. 13 North Carolina, only added to the frustration.
Clemson is now 11-13 overall, 4-9 in ACC play and slipping toward the conference’s bottom tier.
The once-promising trajectory has taken a dramatic downturn, and with only a handful of games remaining, the Tigers are running out of time to turn things around.
Early in the season, the Tigers looked like a different team.
They grabbed a signature win over No. 20 California, took No. 22 NC State to the wire and edged Stanford in overtime. At one point, they were in ESPN’s Bracketology projections for March Madness, a sign that the program was gaining national attention.
But a home loss to Virginia started a downward spiral. Each loss seemed to chip away at their confidence, and as the defeats piled up, the team began to struggle in areas that had once been strengths.
Loyal McQueen has been the leader, averaging 13.2 points per game while shooting 41.8% from the field. Mia Moore is the other contributor, putting up 10.9 points per game and knocking down 39.2% of her 3-pointers.
But beyond those two, Clemson has struggled to find consistent scoring threats.
Turnovers have been an issue, with Clemson averaging 14.3 per game compared to just 12.5 for opponents.
Defensive struggles have also been a major factor, as opponents are shooting 41.5% from the field against the Tigers and averaging 63.9 points allowed per game.
Despite the slide, first-year head coach Shawn Poppie has built a solid foundation with a roster that wasn’t packed with high-profile Power Four talent. Instead, he’s leaned on mid-major standouts — particularly the players he brought from Chattanooga — and helped them compete at the highest level.
The challenge now is learning how to close out games.
With the postseason in sight, Clemson must take advantage of upcoming matchups against SMU, Pittsburgh and Louisville.
Clemson’s ACC Tournament outlook has also changed — what once seemed like a potential first-round bye now looks unlikely, making its road to Greensboro, North Carolina, even tougher. Falling into the bottom tier of the standings means the Tigers would have to play an extra game, putting more pressure on them to make an improbable run.
The ACC is one of the toughest conferences in women’s basketball, and navigating the tournament without momentum is a daunting task.
These final weeks will define Clemson’s season. If the team can rediscover its early-season form, they can still make noise in March. If not, it will be another tough finish for a program trying to establish itself in the ACC.
