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Resetting the Standard: Clemson Women’s Basketball’s Rise Under Shawn Poppie in 2025-26

Resetting the Standard: Clemson Women’s Basketball’s Rise Under Shawn Poppie in 2025-26Resetting the Standard: Clemson Women’s Basketball’s Rise Under Shawn Poppie in 2025-26

Written By: William Warren

 

By the time the final overtime buzzer sounded in Columbia, it was clear that even though the Tigers had come up just short against USC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, something deeper than a win total had been achieved. In just his second year at the helm, head coach Shawn Poppie had achieved a feat that hadn't been accomplished since 2019 - and more importantly, he had reestablished a belief around and inside the Clemson Tigers Women’s basketball program that it could compete on college basketball’s biggest stage.

 

A Program Ahead of Schedule

            When Clemson entered the season in November, the ACC preseason poll slotted it to finish 11th in the ACC and miss the NCAA Tournament come March. The Tigers had improved in Poppie’s first season, finishing with 14 wins, but they were still viewed as a program in progress.

Inside the program, however, the expectations were quietly different.

There was continuity in the system, increased familiarity with Poppie’s philosophy (Family, Energy, and Development), and a roster that had grown both in experience and confidence. The coaching staff emphasized accountability, spacing, defensive discipline, and trust in one another.

“I think when you focus on the little things every single day and do things the right way… the wins will come,” Shawn Poppie told The State soon after his hire in 2024.

The Tigers instead won 21 regular-season games, the highest total since 2000, recorded 11 conference victories, the most since 1988, and posted their best season in the past 30 years of the program. Defeating multiple notable opponents and ending No. 9 Duke’s 17-game win streak in the midst of an impressive seven-game regular season stretch where Clemson roared to 7-3 in its final ten games.

“We’ve been saying we can make this place special, and special is getting on the national scene,” Shawn Poppie said following Clemson’s 63-61 win over Duke on February 22.

Clemson began the season 9-4  through non-conference play, and at the end of December, the team entered the Jacoby Dickens Center in Chicago after four straight dominant wins while boasting an offensive rating of 101.2 (55th of 363).

Fresh off an 84-62 home victory against North Florida, the Tigers traveled north for a non-conference matchup against the Chicago State Cougars. What unfolded on the afternoon of December 28, 2026, was one of the most explosive performances in both program and conference history.

Clemson knocked down a record 21 three-pointers in a 97-44 victory, setting a new Atlantic Coast Conference single-game record while also eclipsing its own program record of 15 made threes from the previous season.

The Tigers moved the ball with precision and created open looks through spacing and pace. Taylor-Johnson Matthews led the way with a season-best 23 points and six three-pointers, while Rusne Augistinate and Mia Moore followed with four and three each, but the performance was collective.

Turning the Corner at the Right Time

Clemson would enter the ACC gauntlet of play in early January, and with a full schedule compiled of opponents in one of the toughest conferences in basketball ahead, the next stretch would provide a true measurement of how far the Tigers had come and how much farther they could go.

On January 8, Clemson delivered its first major ACC statement. In a tightly contested faceoff with the NC State Wolfpack, the Tigers used a 20-3 scoring run to secure a breakthrough victory and their first against the Wolfpack in 15 years. Momentum continued to build over the next month, and more accomplishments would follow suit.

On January 25, Clemson defeated RV/RV Notre Dame, earning its first win over the Fighting Irish in six years. By this point, the Tigers were no longer flying under the radar; they were establishing a pattern highlighted by synchronized and composed defensive play, timely shooting, and an ability to execute in high-pressure moments.

The narrative had shifted, and the Tigers weren’t just improving; they were arriving.

Beyond the court, the team showcased a sisterhood much deeper than just through basketball. It was a bond built in shared time, sacrifice, and an understanding of what each player carried with them far from home. That connection was never more evident than in the way the Tigers rallied around Rusne Augustinaite, transforming a simple conversation about missing family into a life-changing moment.

For Augustinaite, who moved to the United States at just 15 years old, the reality of playing for the Clemson Tigers had long meant separation from loved ones - especially her mother, Rasa, who had never been able to attend a college game in person. After learning how deeply she missed her family, teammates pooled their own money to fly her mother in for a surprise visit. The emotional reunion that was captured when Rasa appeared at the door, and Augustinaite rushed into her arms, became one of the defining off-court moments of the season. As Augustinaite later told CBS News, “I don’t know how it didn’t… slip, or someone didn’t text it in the wrong group chat or something. But they did a great job, and it’s all because of my teammates, and I’m just so happy to have them.”

"One of the best sports stories that i've heard in a good long time," - Tony Dokoupil

The Bucket Heard Around The World

On February 22, a Sunday afternoon crowd of 3,218 filed into Little John Coliseum for a “program-changing” Senior Day matchup. The Tigers hosted a surging Duke Blue Devils squad that entered the matchup riding a 17-game winning streak and carrying national top-10 recognition. Despite trailing the Blue Devils early, the Tigers clawed back, forcing 17 turnovers and outscoring Duke 23-12 in the fourth quarter. Trimming the lead to just one point with under 10 seconds remaining. With 9.5 seconds remaining in regulation Poppie called a pick and roll play off of a half court inbound and Mia Moore drove to the right side of the basket before stopping short of the paint and using quick recognition to find Hannah Kohn open at the top of the three point line for a game winning basket that would cap off a memorable senior day in Clemson’s first ranked victory of the season and its highest in 25 years.

 

“This was a program-changing win,” Shawn Poppie said after the victory. “Our seniors stepped up when the lights were brightest.”

On the previous possession, Kohn had been screened off a three-pointer on the other side, and Poppie said, “For her to give that up, she was in tears, so to make a big shot right back behind it with tears in her eyes…for her to step up and make that was obviously big for her but also us.”

The ability to prosper in the face of adversity defined the Tigers’ season. Time and time again, Clemson found itself in tightly contested moments where momentum could have easily swung in the opposite direction, yet the response was almost always composed and resilient under pressure. Whether it was late-game situations in ACC play or the emotional highs and lows that come with a breakthrough season, Clemson consistently showed an ability to reset and respond.

Historic Upset of No. 9 Duke

Rewriting the Record Books

As the regular season progressed, Clemson continued to stack results that hadn't been seen in decades. By season's end, the Tigers reached 21 wins - the program’s highest total since the 2000-01 season. They also secured 11 conference victories, the most since 1998-99. These weren’t incremental improvements; they were historic benchmarks.

Under Poppie, Clemson’s rebuild had accelerated; in just two seasons, he compiled 35 wins and counting, while establishing a clear identity and raising expectations across the board. For a program that had spent years searching for consistency, the 2025-26 campaign provided valuable proof that it could compete in the modern college basketball landscape.

Impact Player Mia Moore

In May of 2024, Mia Moore arrived at Clemson to fulfill a key role in Poppie’s plan, emerging in her two years as one of the ACC’s most impactful players. Moore’s contributions extended beyond statistics. She became the anchor of the team, setting the tone in both practice and game settings. Moore reached new heights in 2026 and averaged career highs in points and assists with 13.3 points and 4.7 assists per game, while shooting 45.8% from the field and 37% from three. Moore earned the WBCA Coaches' All-America Honorable mention honors, along with All-ACC Second team honors. Placing her among the nation’s most recognized standouts, the accolade reflected both her individual excellence and Clemson’s growing presence on the national stage.

A Return to March

The culmination of Clemson’s regular-season success came with its selection to the NCAA Tournament, marking a significant milestone in the program’s resurgence. After beating a No. 8-seeded Virginia in the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, Clemson punched its ticket to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Slotted as a No. 8 seed, Clemson faced off against the No. 9 seed USC Trojans in the opening round. On paper, it was as even as it gets, two teams with similar résumés, both battle-tested and capable of advancing.

From the opening tip, the game reflected that parity; it featured 19 lead changes and seven ties. In the final seconds, it appeared Clemson had authored another storybook finish when Mia Moore converted a running basket at the buzzer, sending players and fans into an uproar. However, an official review determined that she had let the ball go just a tenth of a second late, and the basket and foul were waved off, forcing an overtime period that shifted the momentum of the game. The Trojans’ Jazzy Davidson would eventually take over the game and score the next five straight points to put the Tigers down and leave them just short of victory.

Despite the result, the performance encapsulated the resilience that had defined Clemson’s season. The Tigers fought through adversity, matched USC possession for possession, and remained within reach until the final seconds. “Unfortunately, today, I thought Southern Cal was one possession, or point-1 second better than us,” said Shawn Poppie, a reflection of just how narrow the margin proved to be. In the end, while the loss marked the conclusion of Clemson’s tournament run, it also reinforced how close the program had come to taking the next step on the national stage.

While the 2025-26 season was defined by on-court achievements, one of its most significant developments came off the court. In November, Clemson secured the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history, with its 2026 class ranked No. 3 nationally by 247Sports. Signifying for Poppie and Clemson that Clemson’s rise was not just temporary but sustainable.

The Beginning, Not the Peak

Over the course of the season, Poppie and the Tigers reached new heights, and after showing that they have what it takes to compete at a high level, Clemson is positioned for continued success in the future.

“I’m incredibly proud of this group and what they’ve built together,” said Shawn Poppie. “This isn’t the end for us—it’s the foundation of where we’re going.”

For the Tigers, this season wasn’t just a return to relevance; it is the beginning of something built to last.