South Carolina's Dawn Staley narrates the "Uncommon" strength of the Gamecocks as the team aims to defend the 2025 national championship title
South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley shared that winning alone didn't set their program apart. She said that the program's hallmarks were enthusiasm, teamwork, love for the fans and belief in the unexpected – qualities Staley suggested were not common.
The Gamecocks had an unbeaten 38-0 run last season en route to the national championship. Dawn Staley has kept no secrets about wanting to win the championship in a similar style again. South Carolina's Instagram page uploaded a video where Staley waxed eloquent about the team:
"You know what? Here at South Carolina, we don't stand out just because of our wins. It is trusting your process. It is blending work and joy. It is walking into every arena and seeing Garnet and Black and showing the fans, yeah, I mean our fans, they're pretty special that love right back."
" It is having faith in the people standing next to you celebrating their successes as much as your own. This is believing in the unexpected. This is uncommon."
The Gamecocks, led by Staley, faced disappointment as the defending champions lost to Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four in the 2022-23 season. Even though Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke and Brea Beal went to the WNBA, Staley rebuilt the roster from scratch and won the 2024 NCAA championship.
After the 87-75 national championship victory over the Hawkeyes, Staley expressed pride in working at the Gamecocks camp, per ESPN:
"They weren't going to be denied. It doesn't always end like you want it to end. I'm just super proud of where I work. It's unbelievable."
The Gamecocks will face the Memphis Tigers in an exhibition charity game on Oct. 15 at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. The team will face Clayton State in the second exhibition match on Oct. 28.
The dominance of Dawn Staley on the college basketball scene
After some top players departed to the WNBA, Dawn Staley quipped that her program had gone from doctor to daycare. She faced the challenges of building a strong roster for the season ahead.
But after the Gamecocks won the NCAA championship last year, Staley shared how she balanced the individual creativity of players with her guidance:
"You have to let young people be who they are. But you also have to guide and navigate them."
This year too Staley compared her program to preschool. Also, I don't think South Carolina's success will "surprise the college basketball world." ... South Carolina was ranked sixth -- SIXTH -- in the preseason poll a year ago. The Gamecocks have won three titles since 2017 and have made six Final Fours since 2015. She's a four-time national coach of the year and a seven-time SEC Coach of the Year..
The Iowa Hawkeyes coach tried to delve into the personality of Staley and opined she had risen to the top, per ESPN:
"She's a tremendous recruiter, tremendous motivator, a tremendous example.For a while it was Pat, then it was Geno. And now it's Dawn setting the bar for everyone else."
Dawn Staley is in her 16th year of coaching with the Gamecocks. The program will kickstart its season against Michigan on November 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Also read: "We were the guinea pigs of professional league": South Carolina HC Dawn Staley shares how the '96 Team USA pioneered women's basketball
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