On Wednesday, South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley offered her congratulations to Collin Murray Boyles during the NBA Draft. Ultimately, her fellow Gamecock was drafted No. 9 by the Toronto Raptors and is going viral for supposedly uttering the F-word.

One of Staley's players, Chloe Kitts, is dating Murray-Boyles and was present at the draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. In her post on X, Staley made a quirky joke about them transitioning into a long-term relationship.

“Congrats @GamecockMBB @boyles_murray! And @GamecockWBB @chloe1kitts. Now sneaking out of town means you'll be sneaking out of the country.”

Overall, Murray-Boyles finished his sophomore year averaging 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. As a freshman, he made the SEC All-Freshman team in 2024.

Kitts will enter her senior year this season. Under Staley, she has won a national championship in 2024 and named the 2024 SEC tournament MVP this past March.

This year, Kitts averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. At one time, Staley referred to Kitts as “consistent” following a strong performance against Vanderbilt in the SEC quarterfinal in March.

Kitts scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Additionally, Murray-Boyles has praised Kitts for her support.

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“She's amazing for me,” he said per Lulu Kesin of the Greenville News. “She knows the sacrifices that this comes with, especially with being a professional basketball player. She understands that, fully embraces it and never takes anything for granted. She never takes my time for granted, and I never take her for granted as well.”

Dawn Staley's culture of mutual support 

Undoubtedly, Staley's tenure as coach has raised the visibility of South Carolina basketball. Altogether, she's led the Gamecocks to three national championships (2017, 2022, 2024).

Furthermore, Murray-Boyles spoke highly of Staley and the prominence of the women's basketball program.

“How they play is something I like to watch,” Murray-Boyles said. “How fast they go is almost relatable to how fast the NBA goes and how fast-paced it is. I watch Dawn Staley a lot and see what she does.”

In essence, a strong indication that a strong sense of solidarity exists between the two programs.