When Dawn Staley shut down unpatriotic South Carolina accusations: “Sometimes people put things out there to be a distraction”
Dawn Staley has had her fair share of battles with the media while coaching the South Carolina Gamecocks. In an interview on Power 105.1 FM's "The Breakfast Club" on Apr. 14, 2022, she recalled an incident where the Gamecocks were unfairly accused of being unpatriotic.
Staley and her team were the targets of allegations after the Gamecocks failed to show up for the national anthem ahead of South Carolina's Final Four clash with No. 4 Louisville. She explained their absence wasn't intentional and that the scheduling of the anthem was to blame for their no-show.
"The national anthem was played at 12 on the clock and our pregame ritual, we're not on the floor at 12," Staley said. "So we weren't out there and the Louisville team was out there." (Timestamp: 31:34)
Some media outlets made a big deal out of that incident, calling Staley and the Gamecocks unpatriotic ahead of their showdown with the UConn Huskies in the national championship game. Staley didn't respond to the negative coverage, focusing instead on the task at hand.
"I didn't say anything because I didn't want it to be a distraction. Sometimes, people put things out there to be a distraction to take you off of your goal and your preparation," Staley said. "I saw it but I did not mention it. I didn't say anything to our players."
All eyes were on Staley and her team as they showed up for their title clash with the Huskies. The national anthem wasn't a problem this time around for the Gamecocks and Staley explained why.
"The national anthem for the championship game was played at zero, like horn zero," Staley said. "We stood up. We did our thing. If it was at zero the game before, we would have been out there. So don't get mad at us. Get mad at the people who chose to play the national anthem at 12."
Dawn Staley eliminated distraction to win 2nd NCAA title with South Carolina
Staley's decision not to tell her players about the negative press proved wise, as the South Carolina Gamecocks trounced the UConn Huskies 64-49 in the championship game. The Gamecocks opened the contest with a 13-2 run and never looked back, securing the wire-to-wire victory in the final game of the 2021-22 season.
Three starters scored in double figures for the Gamecocks, who won their second NCAA title in six years. Destanni Henderson led all scorers with 26 points while Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke each added 11 points. Paige Bueckers had difficulty solving the South Carolina defense, scoring just 14 points in a losing effort for UConn.
Staley addressed the national anthem issue after the Gamecocks won the championship, blasting the "untruths" that some reporters told.
"Just get the facts right. If we did something like that intentionally, I would tell you like 'Hey we're not going to be out there because we're protesting.' But it was not that at all," Staley said.