Caitlin Clark Dazzles Fans, Draws Curry Comps as Iowa Shocks Aliyah Boston, No. 1 SC
Apr 1, 2023
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 31: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts to a playa against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the semifinals of the NCAA Womens Basketball Tournament Final Four at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Masterclass.
That's the only way to describe what Caitlin Clark did in Iowa's 77-73 Final Four win against South Carolina on Friday night in Dallas at the American Airlines Center.
The crowd roared with each one of her 15 made shots en route to a second-consecutive 41-point performance to go along with eight assists and six rebounds as she cooked the defending national champions all night long and put an end to the dream of an undefeated season for the Gamecocks.
Clark has been turning up the notch with each passing round of the tournament, dropping a 41-point triple-double in an Elite Eight win against Louisville, which had never been done before.
No matter what South Carolina threw at her, Clark had the answer for everything, whether it be a 28-foot three-pointer, drive to the rim or finding a wide open teammate out of a double team.
And now, she'll be taking her immense talents to the biggest stage of the sport as she has led the Hawkeyes to their first-ever national championship game where they'll take on LSU, who is also making its first title game appearance.
It's been a historic and beyond special run for the national player of the year as she scored or assisted in every point in the fourth quarter to help seal the win, even as South Carolina made a hellish push for the lead late in the game.
Twitter was in absolute shambles as it watched Clark make history.
IOWA ENDS SOUTH CAROLINA'S 42-GAME WIN STREAK AND MOVES ON TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 😱 pic.twitter.com/RtaTnZqcHE
With that 3-point field goal, Caitlin Clark became the sixth player in Division I history to score 1,000 points in a single season. (via @ESPNStatsInfo)
— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) April 1, 2023
Caitlin Clark, damn. She can just burn defenses in so many ways.
Caitlin Clark is a human highlight reel. The way she moves with so much purpose on the court and the control when she pulls up for 3 after moving full speed…the Steph Curry comparisons are actually kind of perfect.
I’m not a women’s college basketball expert. I’ve just checked in for these past few games. But Caitlin Clark feels a lot like Stephen Curry felt at Davidson and I didn’t think I’d ever feel that way about a basketball player again.
After snapping South Carolina's 42-game winning streak, the stage is set for an absolute battle between Clark and LSU's Angel Reese, who put up 24 points and 12 rebounds in the Tigers' win over Virginia Tech.
Clark has captured the attention of the entire basketball world over the last few weeks and now she is one game away from becoming completely immortalized.
She seems more than up for the challenge.
South Carolina's Dawn Staley: 'I Don't Want to Coach in the Men's Game'
Mar 30, 2023
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 30: Dawn Staley head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks answers questions during a press conference at the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four at American Airlines Center on March 30, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jay LaPrete/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Dawn Staley appears to be in the process of building a dynasty with the South Carolina women's basketball team and has no interest in abandoning that to coach on the men's side of the sport.
"No thoughts," she told reporters when asked about the suggestion she should coach Temple's men's team. "I don't want to coach in the men's game."
That some would connect her to the Temple job doesn't come as a huge surprise since she was born and raised in Philadelphia and led the Owls' women's program to plenty of success from 2000-01 to 2007-08.
Seth Davis of CBS Sports was surely thinking that when he suggested Staley for the job after Aaron McKie stepped down:
If Temple really wants to win basketball games it should turn the keys over to a Philly native who is a proven winner.
While Staley made her feelings clear, Temple announced that it hired Adam Fisher for the position on Wednesday.
Frankly, the Temple men's coach would be a step down for Staley. The Owls haven't been past the First Four of the NCAA tournament since 2013 and were just 16-16 this past season.
By contrast, the South Carolina women's team is two wins away from completing a perfect season and winning back-to-back national championships.
Staley has been with the Gamecocks since the 2008-09 campaign, and they have been to the NCAA tournament 11 times and the Final Four five times, including the last three seasons. They won the national title in 2017 and again last season and are in position to do so again this season.
Throw in seven SEC regular-season and tournament championships, and she is already an icon in South Carolina.
Maybe she will take another coaching job somewhere else in the future, but for now she is dominating the college basketball world and collecting championships. She isn't about to stop doing that, even if there are some connections with the Temple job.
Dawn Staley Wins 2023 Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Award
Mar 29, 2023
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 27: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates after defeating the Maryland Terrapins 86-75 in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 27, 2023 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
For the second consecutive season and the third time in four years, South Carolina's Dawn Staley was named the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year on Wednesday.
𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝐵𝐸𝒮𝒯 𝒞𝒪𝒜𝒞𝐻 𝐼𝒩 𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝒞𝒪𝒰𝒩𝒯𝑅𝒴
Dawn Staley is the back-to-back @wernerladderco Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year🏀 pic.twitter.com/71O6yBx4yd
Staley took the 2022-23 version of the award by virtue of her Gamecocks being the only undefeated team in major women's college basketball at 36-0.
With an 86-75 win over second-seeded Maryland on Monday, South Carolina reached the Final Four of the women's NCAA tournament for a third consecutive season.
The Gamecocks are in search of their second straight national championship and their third national title overall during Staley's 15-year run as the program's head coach.
While South Carolina has lost two or fewer games in a season three times under Staley, it is in pursuit of the first-ever undefeated season in the history of the program.
Along with Staley, the Gamecocks are led by a host of elite players, including 2021-22 Naismith Women's College Player of the Year Aliyah Boston, making them the odds-on favorite to win yet another championship.
Staley is now only the fifth coach to win the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Award at least three times, joining Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Muffet McGraw and Tara VanDerveer.
In order to win the 2022-23 Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Award, Staley had to beat out three other highly deserving finalists in Virginia Tech's Kenny Brooks, Indiana's Teri Moren and Utah's Lynne Roberts.
Virginia Tech has lost just four games this season under Brooks, won its first ACC title in program history and is in the Final Four for the first time ever as well.
Moren helped Indiana win its first Big Ten regular-season title since 1983 and achieve a ranking of No. 3 in the nation before getting upset by ninth-seeded Miami in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Under the guidance of Roberts, Utah won a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title for the first time and reached the Sweet 16 before falling to LSU, which subsequently made it to the Final Four.
After securing the Coach of the Year hardware once again, Staley will now look to solidify this season as a historic one for both herself and the South Carolina program.
The Gamecocks will face Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four on Friday night, followed by a potential clash with Virginia Tech or LSU in the national title game on Sunday.
South Carolina's Dawn Staley Says UConn Will 'Start a New Streak' After Sweet 16 Loss
Mar 26, 2023
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 25: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks looks on during the first half against the UCLA Bruins in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 25, 2023 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
University of Connecticut women's basketball will dominate in 2023 even after the team failed to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in 16 years, said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley.
During a press conference Sunday ahead of South Carolina's Elite Eight matchup against Maryland on Monday, Staley said she expects UConn to start a new streak next year.
"UConn is going to continue to be UConn," Staley said. "They're going to reload. If you see their roster that's coming in and who they're bringing back next year, they'll reload. They'll start a new streak."
The end of an era: UConn will not advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2007, as the 3-seed Ohio State Buckeyes upset the 2-seed Huskies in the Sweet 16. UConn last lost this early in the tournament in 2005.
The Huskies' elimination Saturday in a 73-61 Sweet 16 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes finished off a season marred by injuries.
In addition to the season-long losses of Paige Bueckers to an ACL tear and Ice Brady to a dislocated patella, UConn suffered so many injuries that the team only had 10 players available in four out of 34 games, according to CT Insider.
Even facing a total of 116 combined games lost to injury, the Huskies won their 10th consecutive conference championship before being eliminated in the Sweet 16.
"It's not over," Staley said. "It's a scary thing because they lost a lot more games than they normally lose. But they were hampered by injuries, and once they get healthy, once they get Paige back, once this year's recruiting class is able to play and who they'll bring in, it's back to the drawing board."
Just a hunch: UConn will have what occurred today fuel it for the next 12 months. The Huskies are due for a special season if they can just find a way to stay healthy. Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and company will be back next year. I expect Geno Auriemma and the program to respond.
Staley knows just how the confident Buckeyes, who advanced to the program's first Elite Eight in 30 years with their historic elimination of the Huskies, are feeling. After all, she understands what it means for a team to best UConn.
"UConn is a great program, a great team, but we're a great team too."
Last year, the Gamecocks and Huskies met on April 3 for the 2022 NCAA title game, and South Carolina's 64-49 victory marked a turning point for the Gamecocks.
The team has not lost a single game since that victory and will now head into Monday's Elite Eight matchup with a perfect 35-0 record.
"You get a chance to beat UConn, it's always going to be a big win for you and your program," Staley said.
The Gamecocks will tip off against the Maryland Terrapins at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, while the Buckeyes will take on the Virginia Tech Hokies at 9 p.m. in a pair of Elite Eight matchups.
Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark Top 2023 Women's College Player of the Year Finalists
Mar 21, 2023
IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 19: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after a basket against the Georgia Lady Bulldogs late in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 19, 2023 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Iowa's Caitlin Clark and South Carolina's Aliyah Boston lead the list of finalists for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's College Player of the Year award.
Clark's dynamic offensive game has led the Hawkeyes into the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. She leads the nation with 8.6 assists and 3.4 three-pointers made per game.
Boston's all-around play has been the driving force behind South Carolina's dominance over the past four years. The senior star won her fourth consecutive SEC Defensive Player of the Year award this season.
Here are the full list of finalists announced Tuesday:
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Clark has a great case for the award ahead of the final round of voting. The Hawkeyes guard has improved as the spotlight has gotten bigger. She has posted back-to-back double-doubles in the NCAA tournament after a triple-double with 30 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game.
In the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday, Clark scored or assisted on 31 of Iowa's 33 points in the second half of Iowa's 74-66 win over Georgia.
Boston is seeking her second consecutive Naismith Women's College Player of the Year award. She's got a fantastic argument, averaging nearly a double-double with 13.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in 34 starts for South Carolina.
The Gamecocks' dominance might actually hurt Boston's odds because she doesn't have to play as many minutes as the other contenders, which results in her counting stats appearing to be depressed. She's only averaged 26.0 minutes per game, compared to 34.1 for Clark and 35.3 for Siegrist.
Head coach Dawn Staley praised Boston's selfless style of play following South Carolina's 76-45 win over South Florida on Sunday.
"She could have easily had 30 & 15, I've never coached a superstar like herself that is full of sacrifice. "
Dawn Staley on Aliyah Boston following the reigning National Player of the Year's final game at Colonial Life Arena.
Boston is the only player in the country who ranks in the top five in offensive and defensive player rating, per Sports Reference.
If Boston does win the award, she will become the first repeat winner since Breanna Stewart in 2015 and 2016.
Siegrist is having a scoring season for the ages and is the biggest reason this has been the most successful season in Villanova history. The Wildcats have already won a school-record 30 games and are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003.
With her 35-point effort against Cleveland State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Siegrist became the fifth player in women's Division I history to score 1,000 points in a single season.
Siegrist's 29.2 points per game leads the nation by a wide margin. Drexel's Keishana Washington is the only player within two points of her (27.7 per game).
Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley is one of 21 players in the country averaging a double-double this season (18.2 points, 10.8 rebounds). Her 2.3 blocks per contest are tied for 11th in the nation.
A three-time first-team All-ACC selection, Kitley led the Hokies to their first ACC tournament title this season. Their 29 wins are the most in a single season in program history, and they earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time.
Kitley became the first player in ACC women's basketball history with at least 20 rebounds in a game when she accomplished the feat on Dec. 18 against Notre Dame.
Fan voting, which begins Tuesday and runs through March 28, will account for 5 percent of the final vote. The winner will be announced March 29 at the Final Four in Dallas.
NCAA Women's Basketball Bracket 2023: Results, Seeds, Reaction and Analysis
Mar 13, 2023
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 23: Aliyah Boston #4 of the South Carolina Gamecocks dribbles against Karoline Striplin #11 of the Tennessee Lady Vols in the fourth quarter at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 23, 2023 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
The 2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament bracket was revealed on Selection Sunday.
To no one's surprise, South Carolina earned the No. 1 overall seed thanks to its perfect 32-0 record. The other No. 1 seeds were Indiana, Virginia Tech and Stanford, while Illinois, Mississippi State, Purdue and St. John's just made the cut as the last four in.
Make your picks: Play the NCAA March Madness Women's Bracket Challenge.
As expected, the Gamecocks likely won't face much resistance on their road to the Final Four as Aliyah Boston and Co. look for their second straight national championship and third in program history. The No. 2 seed in the Greenville 1 region is Maryland, which South Carolina already defeated by 25 points earlier this season.
There's another interesting repeat matchup awaiting the Gamecocks if No. 4 UCLA makes it that far, as the Bruins lost by only nine points to South Carolina earlier in the year. While that doesn't sound like much a consolation, the Gamecocks had a point differential of plus-30.3 this season, so losing by single digits should provide some solace, however minimal.
Quick thoughts: Obviously South Carolina will be favored, but UCLA is a dangerous 4 seed. Bruins led South Carolina for three quarters in November.
Another possible rematch with Maryland in the Elite 8, too.
The health of Notre Dame's Olivia Miles is something to watch, too.
Greenville 1 Region top 4 seeds: 1. South Carolina. 2. Maryland. 3. Notre Dame. 4 UCLA. Maryland beat ND 74-72, lost to SC 81-56 in the second game of the year.
The Cardinal are on the same side of the bracket, making for another possible rematch in the national semifinal. Stanford took South Carolina to overtime in a five-point loss in November, so the Haley Jones-led group will have some confidence if they run into the Gamecocks again. However, Caitlin Clark and the second-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes could make things difficult for the Cardinal in the Seattle 4 region.
If South Carolina is able to make it through to the national title game, interesting potential matchups await on the other side of the bracket.
The Gamecocks have not faced the Hoosiers, who have some tough teams in the Greenville 2 region like No. 2 Utah and No. 3 LSU. Also, a possible rematch could be on the horizon against UConn, which is seeded No. 2 in the Seattle 3 region and could present a challenge for the Hokies.
The NCAA women's tournament will tip off Wednesday with the First Four, while the first round will officially begin Friday.
Dawn Staley Headlines 2023 Women's College Coach of the Year Semifinalists
Mar 9, 2023
COLUMBIA, SC - FEBRUARY 12: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks looks on during their game against the LSU Tigers at Colonial Life Arena on February 12, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. South Carolina won 88-64. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
After leading South Carolina to a perfect regular season and an SEC tournament championship, Dawn Staley headlines the list of 10 semifinalists for the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award.
The Gamecocks have been ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll all season. Staley's team is outscoring its opponents by an average of 30.3 points per game.
Other candidates vying for the award include LSU's Kim Mulkey, Iowa's Lisa Bluder and Indiana's Teri Moren.
Here is the full list of semifinalists as determined by the Atlanta Tipoff Club:
Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Kim Mulkey, LSU
Lisa Bluder, Iowa
Teri Moren, Indiana
Denise Dillon, Villanova
Joe Tartamella, St. John's
Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech
Lynne Roberts, Utah
Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
Vic Schaefer, Texas
Staley is looking to win the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award for the third time in the past four seasons. She can also become the first person to win it in back-to-back years since Geno Auriemma in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
South Carolina has been the most dominant team in the sport over the past two seasons with a 67-2 record. It will be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament after breezing through the SEC tournament with three wins by at least 16 points.
Only four times in 32 games so far this season have the Gamecocks won by 10 or fewer points. They rank first in the nation in offensive rating and second in defensive rating, per Sports-Reference.com.
Bluder is making a strong push to challenge Staley for the award. The 61-year-old has led Iowa to a 15-2 record in its last 17 games with three wins in the Big Ten tournament, including a dominant 105-72 victory over Ohio State in the championship game.
The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, their highest position this season. Caitlin Clark is arguably the best player in the nation. They are set up to make a deep tournament run after being upset in the second round by Creighton last season.
Bluder can become the first Iowa head coach to be named Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year multiple times. She previously took home the honor for the 2018-19 season, joining C. Vivian Stringer as the only coaches in program history to win the award.
Teri Moren has done a great job building Indiana into a national powerhouse. The Hoosiers have already won a program-record 27 games this season. They did end the regular season losing two of their final three games, but both losses were to No. 2 Iowa and No. 12 Ohio State by a combined total of five points.
In just her second season at LSU, Mulkey has the team sitting at 28-2 going into the NCAA tournament. Its lone loss before the SEC tournament was against South Carolina on Feb. 12.
Mulkey is one of the best coaches in NCAA history, but she's only won this award one other time for the 2011-12 season with Baylor. Her 686 career wins are tied for 15th among all women's coaches.
The four finalists for the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award will be announced on March 20.
Fan voting, which accounts for 5 percent of the overall vote count, will open on March 21 and run through the 28th after the finalists are determined. The winner will be announced on March 29 during a ceremony at the Women's Final Four in Dallas.
Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark Headline 15 Finalists for 2023 Women's Wooden Award
Mar 4, 2023
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 26: Aliyah Boston #4 of the South Carolina Gamecocks cheers from the bench in the third quarter of their game against the Georgia Lady Bulldogs at Colonial Life Arena on February 26, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston and Iowa guard Caitlin Clark highlight the list of the 15 women's finalists for this year's Wooden Award.
Adam Zagoria of the New York Times, Forbes and NJ.com relayed all the candidates.
Boston is the reigning Wooden Award winner. The senior is averaging 13.3 points on 57.3 percent shooting, 9.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 25.5 minutes per game. She's led South Carolina to a perfect 30-0 record and the No. 1 spot in the country thus far.
Clark can certainly make a case for the award as well. The junior is posting 27.1 points on 47.0 percent shooting (37.5 percent from three-point range), 8.0 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The 24-6 Hawkeyes are seventh in the latest Associated Press poll.
Stanford, the 2021 national champion, is the only team with two finalists. The No. 6-ranked team in the nation features Cameron Brink and Haley Jones. Brink has 14.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocks in just 24.5 minutes per game. Jones is second on the team in scoring (13.4 PPG), second in rebounding (9.1 RPG) and first in assists (4.1 APG).
No. 2 Indiana, which won its first-ever solo Big Ten regular-season title, is represented by senior forward Mackenzie Holmes (22.7 PPG on 69.3 percent shooting, 7.3 RPG, 1.9 BPG). She's led Indiana to a 27-2 mark (16-2 Big Ten).
The nation's top transfer this year, Alissa Pili of No. 3 Utah, also made the cut. She's flourished for Utah after heading to Salt Lake City from USC, averaging 20.3 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Clark and Holmes aren't the only Big Ten representatives, as Diamond Miller of Maryland is also there. The New Jersey native has dropped 19.7 points and 6.5 boards per game for a No. 5 Maryland squad that tied for second with Iowa in the Big Ten this year.
LSU, the No. 4-ranked team, is the only Top 10 squad without a Wooden Award finalist.
Make your picks: Play the NCAA March Madness Women's Bracket Challenge.
No. 1 South Carolina Tipped by WCBB Fans to Repeat as Champs After Routing No. 3 LSU
Feb 12, 2023
South Carolina guard Bree Hall (23) joins teammates reacting after a blocked shot by their team as they play against LSU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
The South Carolina women's basketball team might be in a class by themselves this season.
The reigning champion Gamecocks welcomed No. 3 LSU to Columbia on Sunday and coasted past the Tigers 88-64.
Beyond the implications in the SEC title race and NCAA tournament seeding, this was viewed as a battle between two of the best players in the country. But neither LSU's Angel Reese nor South Carolina's Aliyah Boston shined the brightest. Reese had 16 points, four rebounds and four blocks, while Boston finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Kamilla Cardoso and Zia Cooke ultimately stole the spotlight. Cardoso earned a double-double by scoring 18 points and collecting 13 boards, and Cooke chipped in with 17 points off the bench.
“She is just a dominant player, she’s our separator.”
Aliyah Boston gives high praise to Kamilla Cardoso following Kamilla’s 18 point & 13 rebound performance in the win vs LSU. @WLTX | #Gamecockspic.twitter.com/yShGQBsyoZ
A national champion won't be crowned until April 2, but right now it's tough to envision the 2023 NCAA tournament ending with anything other than a second straight title for South Carolina.
Bruh South Carolina didn’t just beat LSU. They DEMOLISHED them!! Helluva effort today and you saw why they are such a talented and SMART squad this year.
South Carolina controlled the game from the start! They’ve been on a bigger stages! You saw their poise from the start! This LSU group haven’t been on a stage of this magnitude! But at some point I think LSU will be ready! They needed this shock! But SC came READYT! 👏🏾
For LSU, the outcome might be a bit of a reality check. The Tigers entered the contest with a perfect 23-0 record, but they had a relatively easy non-conference schedule that made it difficult to judge overall standing.
As a championship contender, LSU still has some work to do.
Are you telling me LSU’s undefeated record was a product of Mulkeyscheduling????
The Gamecocks and Tigers both have four games left in the regular season before the conference tournament tips off March 1.
Barring a major surprise, the teams appear to be on a collision course for the SEC title game on March 5 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Dawn Staley Defends South Carolina's Style of Play After Geno Auriemma Criticism
Feb 8, 2023
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 22: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks looks on in the first quarter during their game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Colonial Life Arena on January 22, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
After UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma criticized the South Carolina Gamecocks for their physical style of play, head coach Dawn Staley fired back on Wednesday in defense of her team.
"They play the right way, and approach it the right way whether they win or lose," Staley said of her players during her radio call-in show. "We don't denounce anybody's play. They are always uplifting the game of women's basketball, and when we were getting our heads beat in by UConn for all those years, I said nothing."
Following Sunday's 81-77 loss to the No. 1-ranked Gamecocks, Auriemma complained that guard/forward Lou Lopez Sénéchal was found to have bruises on her body after the game.
"It's just appalling what teams do to her now," he said. "It's not basketball anymore. I don't know what it is, but it's not basketball."
It was UConn's fourth loss to South Carolina in their past five meetings, including last season's national championship game. From Staley's perspective, when South Carolina is successful, "we're called something other than players that are locked in."
Prior to the Gamecocks' recent run of dominance, they had been 0-7 against the Huskies in Staley's tenure. However, she believes the program has done enough to earn the respect of the college basketball world.
"We've been called so many things and I'm sick of it," Staley said. "I'm sick of it because I coach some of the best human beings the game has ever had."
South Carolina (23-0) will look to remain undefeated when it takes on Auburn (13-9) on Thursday night.
