As the South Carolina women's basketball team celebrates another undefeated season, coach Dawn Staley shared a unique perspective on the transformation that has propelled the team to success. Following a 76-68 victory on Sunday over Tennessee, Staley reflected on the competitive nature that has been vital to the No. 1 Gamecocks' success, distinguishing this season from the last despite similar undefeated outcomes.
The journey to this point was anything but straightforward. After a major roster overhaul, losing most of its experienced players, South Carolina entered the 2023-24 season with a largely inexperienced team. . The early uncertainty of the season, compounded by Staley's own contemplations of retirement due to the state of the team, makes their undefeated streak all the more impressive.
“I am super proud of them. If you compare the undefeated season from last year to this year, there’s so much different and yet we end up in the same place,” Staley said, per Evan Gerike of the Asheville Citizen Times. “I’ll probably equate it to a doctorate program — and they’re gonna get me for saying this — and day care. There’s so much talking about nothing. At the beginning of the season, we’d say to be quiet, but now it’s really who they are.”
Facing the Lady Vols, who managed to narrow their deficit to just three points in the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks demonstrated Staley's feelings. Senior center Kamilla Cardoso's crucial four points helped secure the win. Tennessee's coach Kellie Harper praised South Carolina for its versatility and competitiveness, a sentiment echoed by Staley.
“It’s a great basketball team we played against,” Harper said. “They just don’t have a lot of deficiencies. They can guard, they can score, they can rebound. They have a lot of players that can make plays. We knew it was a tough challenge.”
“They’re a super competitive group,” Staley added. “They don’t really like losing. They can play a lot of different styles of play, especially offensively.”
As the undefeated regular season came to a close, the Gamecocks remained focused on the future, particularly the SEC tournament. Despite the outside expectations and the spotlight on their winning streak, the players, including senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, felt no pressure, attributing their success to the camaraderie and shared goal of continuing their winning ways.
“We just go out there and play our game knowing who we are and that we’re going to get the dub at the end of the day,” Paopao said. “It’s no pressure at all. We just love to play with each other.”
Looking ahead, Staley emphasized that the postseason presents new challenges and insists that her young team, while having developed winning habits, is not invincible. With the SEC tournament on the horizon, South Carolina is ready to translate their regular-season dominance into the postseason. The tournament begins Wednesday.
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