Clemson women’s basketball isn’t a secret anymore.
A year ago, Shawn Poppie was the new coach with a roster pieced together mostly from mid-major transfers.
The Tigers were supposed to be interesting, maybe scrappy, but hardly a factor in the ACC.
Instead, the team turned into one of the best stories on campus.
Clemson nearly doubled its attendance in 2024-25, pulling 36,408 fans into Littlejohn Coliseum compared to 19,055 the year before. That’s a 91% jump — the type of number you just don’t see unless people are truly bought in.
And the product on the floor matched the buzz.
The Tigers knocked off two ranked teams, starting with Cal — their highest-ranked win since 2022.
For a group that entered the year with more questions than answers, it was clear progress.
That was year one. The challenge now is proving it wasn’t a fluke.
What stands out about Poppie’s tenure so far is how quickly momentum has stacked.
The 2025-26 roster is another transfer-heavy build, but this one looks deeper and more complete than the team he inherited.
Wake Forest forward Demeara Hinds, a 6-foot-2 veteran, brings frontcourt stability and ACC experience.
DePaul guard Taylor Johnson-Matthews adds instant scoring after averaging 14.5 points per game on 38 percent shooting from three.
Georgia Tech’s Rusne Augustinaite gives Clemson another steady leader in the backcourt.
And if Rachael Rose is healthy — the same guard who led the Southern Conference in points with 22.3, 5.4 assists, 2.1 steals and 87% free throws made at Wofford in 2023-24 — she could be a game-changer.
These individuals join returning Tigers who logged meaningful minutes a year ago. Guards Mia Moore and Hannah Kohn were reliable options in the backcourt, plus forward Raven Thompson gives Clemson a versatile returning piece in the frontcourt.
Poppie doesn’t have to rebuild from scratch anymore. Now he’s adding pieces on top of a foundation that already held up against ACC competition.
That is the short-term picture. The long-term is even more intriguing.
Clemson currently holds the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2026, according to 247Sports.
Not UConn. Not South Carolina. Not LSU. Clemson.
The class features three top-60 prospects: forward Julia Scott from Albertus Magnus, forward Kimora Fields from Bradley Central and guard Meeyah Green from Webb School of Knoxville.
Landing even one of those recruits can shift a program’s future.
Landing three — in the same cycle — is the kind of haul that changes the conversation about what Clemson women’s basketball is.
And the recruiting haul didn’t start until 2026. That class will join Holland Harris, Clemson’s lone 2025 high school signee. The 6-foot-1 Montverde Academy product is another top-50 prospect who will suit up for Clemson in Poppie’s future.
Now, recruiting numbers do not guarantee wins in the ACC.
The league is too strong, and the climb from up-and-coming to sustained contender is steep. But you don’t pull in 90% more fans, beat ranked teams and start reeling in the nation’s best recruits by accident.
If year one was about proving people should care, year two is about proving Clemson can handle the grind of the ACC.
And if that No. 1 class delivers the way it projects to, the Tigers could be on the edge of something much bigger in the years ahead.
Littlejohn Coliseum was already a louder environment last season. Another step forward, and it could become one of the hottest tickets in town.
For now, Poppie has already achieved something important: he’s made Clemson women’s basketball worth following.
That shift — paired with the best class in the nation waiting in the wings — suggests this might only be the beginning.
