TheState.com: GoGamecocks: Women's Basketball

Staley counting on young players to contribute

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:38 EDT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Tennessee legend Pat Summitt watched last season as South Carolina's Dawn Staley struggled during her first SEC season.

But Summitt also watched Staley clean up on the recruiting trail, including with a player she wanted.

"They'll be fine. I have no sympathy for them," Summitt said about Staley on Thursday. "She's added some talent and there's no doubt that they'll be competitive in this league."

Staley hopes so. Her debut season at USC was somewhat expected, as roster attrition and injuries led to a 10-18 record, including 2-12 in the SEC.

But the off-court news was much better, as Staley brought in one of the nation's top recruiting classes. A number of recruits were swayed by the former Olympic guard, the marquee signee being 6-foot-5 center Kelsey Bone.

Staley conducts a talent search

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:08 EDT

As the injuries and losses piled up during Dawn Staley's first season at South Carolina, the Gamecocks' 39-year-old coach discovered hard work only goes so far.

"I learned you have to have players," Staley said Tuesday. "No matter how hard your team plays, no matter how much work you put into it, it can get you to a certain point. But you have to have the talent to get over the hump and win games."

The Gamecocks finished 10-18 last season and lost their top two players - seniors Brionna Dickerson and Demetress Adams - to season-ending knee injuries in consecutive games in January.

The Gamecocks received a talent infusion with the arrival of the nation's fourth-ranked recruiting class and the emergence of a transfer guard from Fiji who grew up playing an all-girls sport called netball.

Freshman Kelsey Bone, a 6-foot-5 center from Texas rated the country's No. 2 prospect, drew the most attentionTuesday during USC's media day. But Staley expects Valerie Nainima, who sat out last season after transferring from Long Island University, to make a big splash, as well.

USC women's hoops to be on TV 10 times

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:52 EDT

The USC women’s basketball team will play 10 televised games during the 2009-10 season, including a pair of SEC games on the ESPN family of networks.

The games scheduled to be broadcast:

-- Nov. 22 Penn State, 3 p.m. SportSouth

-- Dec. 2 High Point, 11 a.m. SportSouth

-- Dec. 13 N.C. State, 2 p.m. SportSouth

Woods carves a vision at High Carolina

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:43 EDT

SWANNANOA - Standing in what will eventually be the 18th fairway of his first American golf course design - the Cliffs at High Carolina - Tiger Woods looked up the hill Saturday morning toward a white stake designating where the 18th green will be built.

Woods stood on bulldozed dirt, still thick with sticks and stumps, under a blue October sky. The hardwoods covering the hills around him had not yet begun to show their autumn colors but Woods wore a brown sweatshirt against a soft, cool breeze.

Two years from now - fall of 2011 if all goes well - High Carolina will be open for play and Woods could see it coming to life Saturday.

"You want to leave a lasting impression on anyone who plays here," Woods said. "This is as good as it gets."

From where he stood, approximately 3,800 feet above sea level 10 miles east of Asheville, Woods could see for miles. In ideal conditions, golfers will be able to see nearly 50 miles from spots around High Carolina.

Staley, USC see attendance boost

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:20 EDT

The University of South Carolina women's basketball program lifted its average attendance by 992 fans in 2008-09, a number that ranked seventh in the nation, according to the NCAA.

The Gamecocks drew an average of 2,793 fans over their 15-game home schedule last season after 1,801 fans visited Colonial Life Arena per game in 2007-08.

"Our goal each year is to grow attendance and expose as many fans as possible to the game of women's basketball," director of marketing events and public relations Dawn Ellerbe said. "We focus on creating an atmosphere that is fun and exciting for our fans while providing a great competitive advantage for our student-athletes. With the arrival of head coach Dawn Staley and the student-athletes she has added to our program, interest in our program continues to grow. We look forward to those added fans helping us create a game day environment that rates among the best in the country."

In June, the NCAA announced that South Carolina received one of 18 grants to foster the grown of women's basketball on NCAA member campuses and conferences. Two of the six programs that posted larger attendance gains than the Gamecocks in 2008-09 were among those awarded the grant for last season. Additionally, each of the six programs ranked ahead of South Carolina won more games than the season before, and five of the six advanced to postseason play.

"It was great to see more fans come out to help our team battle through a difficult season," head coach Dawn Staley said. "It's a tribute to our players'effort and the work of the marketing staff. The coaching staff is hard at work to put a winning product on the floor, and I know the marketing staff is planning some exciting things that will help us get into the top spot in this list next season."

Recruit to miss season at USC

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:23 EDT

South Carolina women's basketball recruit Monique Willis will not be joining the Gamecocks this season.

Willis, a guard from Savannah's Beach High, reached a plea agreement with the Chatham County (Ga.) District Attorney's office on shoplifting charges. But she still faces a November trial on separate armed robbery charges.

USC women's basketball coach Dawn Staley said Thursday those must be resolved before Willis can be a Gamecock.

"We are pleased that Monique has reached a resolution on some of her legal issues through Wednesday's plea agreement," Staley said in a statement. "In talking with her and her family throughout this process, we have decided that it is best for Monique to attend a junior college until her remaining legal matters are concluded. Therefore, she will not be a part of our team for the upcoming season."

The plea agreement stems from an April 3 incident at a Savannah mall where Willis attempted to switch tags on merchandise. When discovered, she fled and broke a plate glass window while trying to escape security. She was charged with shoplifting, criminal damage to property, simple battery and reckless conduct.

Social media: Customers' postings a hazard for stores

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:17 EDT

In the way of Columbia celebrities, Dawn Staley, USC women’s basketball coach, is about as big as they get.

When the coach started a Twitter account to keep fans posted on her comings and goings, Staley’s followers learned that Za’s Brick Oven Pizza on Devine Street was her favorite restaurant in town.

One, two and sometimes three times a week, a Staley Twitter message would read something like this: “3 hrs til the heat of cola slaps me around. Camp meeting at guess where....ZA’s!”

Until July 5.

Then, Staley sent this message to the 1,589 people who subscribe to her Twitter updates: “Just got mistreated at za’s ... never eating there again. Taking complaint to corporate office.”

Charges keep away recruit

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:20 EDT

The USC women's basketball recruit charged with armed robbery in Georgia is not expected to make it to campus in time for the start of the season, if she makes it at all.

Monique Willis, a point guard from Beach High in Savannah, is scheduled for trial in November, and her lawyer indicated Thursday there is little chance of a plea deal.

"I do not see a negotiated resolution in this case," attorney Sage Brown said.

Willis was arrested in April on shoplifting and related charges for allegedly stealing clothing from a department store in a Savannah mall. Less than two weeks later, she was indicted for armed robbery and possession of a firearm — charges that stemmed from a string of robberies on Jan. 14, 2008.

Willis was arraigned on the latter charges this week. She has a hearing next week at which prosecutors will seek to revoke her bond because her pretrial supervising agency does not work with defendants charged with violent crimes, Brown said.

Bone at home in creating a new hoops buzz

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:02 EDT

Don't ask.

The 6-foot-5 woman with the big smile shooting baskets at "the Strom" wellness center or noshing on a burrito at Moe's is who you think she is:

The coolest thing to hit Columbia since central air and the reason to believe Dawn Staley has a chance to turn around the fortunes of USC's women's basketball program in her second season.

Meet Kelsey Bone, the Gamecocks' BWOC — Big Woman on Campus.

During the first session of summer school in June, Bone would be shooting at the Strom or the Gamecocks' practice facility when she'd notice a crowd of boys that had wandered over from Darrin Horn's camp to gather around the tall girl.

Photos: Staley leads Little Gamecock camp

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:04 EDT

USC hopes grant will boost edge at home

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:05 EDT

When Dawn Staley was an All-ACC point guard at Virginia in the early 1990s, the Cavaliers routinely drew crowds of 5,000 to 6,000 fans.

It helped that the Cavs were winning — Staley made three trips to the Final Four during her four years in Charlottesville — and featured a pair of attractive, blonde forwards in Heather and Heidi Burge, who, at 6-foot-5, were in Guinness as the world’s tallest female twins.

“Maybe we have to go out and get some 6-5 twins that can play,” Staley said recently.

She was joking. But South Carolina’s second-year coach is serious about trying to turn Columbia into a women’s basketball town.

USC recently received a $48,000 grant from the NCAA as part of its initiative to increase awareness, interest and attendance for women’s basketball. The NCAA will distribute $750,000 to 14 Division I schools and four conferences in the second year of the grant program.

Terrapin will transfer to Gamecocks

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:13 EDT

Dawn Staley continues to reshape her roster as she prepares for her second season at South Carolina.

Staley added her second transfer in less than four weeks Tuesday when the school announced former Maryland guard Marah Strickland is joining the Gamecocks. Strickland and Rend Lake (Ill.) College transfer Ebony Wilson join an incoming class headlined by Texas center Kelsey Bone and ranked No. 4 nationally by one recruiting site.

Staley had room for the transfers because of a pair of departures. Team spokeswoman Diana Koval said freshman guards Miranda Tate and Tonia Williams have left the program. Freshman center Sada Wheeler quit midway through last season.

Former Gamecocks coach Susan Walvius signed Williams and Wheeler, who played in six games. Tate, who averaged 3.0 points in 21 games last season, originally committed to Temple before following Staley to USC.

Williams, who averaged 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 11 games at USC, said she is transferring to West Virginia in the hopes of getting more playing time.

World championship eludes ex-Gamecock

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:16 EDT

Shannon Johnson has accomplished many things during her basketball career.

From winning state championships at Hartsville High to playing in the NCAA tournament at South Carolina and winning a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, Johnson has done it all.

But one thing has eluded her — a WNBA championship.

That os one of the driving forces for Johnson, who began her 11th WNBA season Saturday when the Seattle Storm faced Sacramento.

Johnson’s best shot at a title came in 2007 as a member of the Detroit Shock. The Shock, coached by former Piston Bill Laimbeer, lost to the Phoenix Mercury 3-2 in the WNBA Finals.

Staley adds another to 2009 class

Fri, 22 May 2009 15:51 EDT

Ebony Wilson has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend USC and play for the Gamecocks, women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley announced Friday.

Wilson joins USC via Rend Lake College, a junior college in Illinolis. She will have three years of eligibility beginning with the 2009-10 academic year.

"Ebony is a strong, athletic guard who will be able to defend four positions on the floor for us," Staley said in a news release. "Her ability to get to the basket helps in an area we lacked last year."

Wilson was named Great Rivers Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2008-09 after finishing second on the Rend Lake team in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). She earned All-Conference and All-Region XXIV honors as well in helping the Lady Warriors to a 23-10 record and a spot in the NJCAA Division I Region XXIV championship game.

Wilson played high school ball at Malcom X Shabazz in Newark, N.J., where she helped guide the Bulldogs to a pair of NJSIAA Tournament of Champions titles and, as a senior, was named Essex County athlete of the year.

Staley's recruiting class ranked No. 4 in nation

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:02 EDT

The USC women’s basketball 2009 recruiting class has been ranked the fourth-best in the nation by All-Star Girls Report.

Coach Dawn Staley added four players for the 2009-10 season, including Kelsey Bone and Ieasia Walker, who were named ESPNrise.com All-Americans this week.

Only Baylor, North Carolina and California signed better classes than the Gamecocks, according to the organization’s rankings.

Staley takes lead using Twitter to reach recruits, fans

Wed, 06 May 2009 23:08 EDT

South Carolina fans with a Twitter account and some idle time can see how Gamecocks women's basketball coach Dawn Staley spent last weekend: running errands and watching the NBA playoffs and the Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao fight Saturday, before visiting Charleston on Sunday.

Staley thinks the minutia from her daily life is "boring." But to her followers on the trendy social-networking site Twitter.com — a group that numbered 530 as of Wednesday — Staley's daily "tweets" are a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her favorite Columbia restaurants (Villa Tronco's, California Dreaming) and leisure-time activities (shopping, going to movies, tuning into NBA games).

"They seem like they want to know," Staley said. "It's pretty much working, eating and watching basketball if I had to describe it."

Staley, the former Temple coach and three-time Olympic gold medalist, wrote a blog during her first year at USC. But she likes twittering better because of its more personal nature, and, at a maximum of 140 characters per tweet, it takes less time.

Staley joins the growing ranks of college coaches who twitter, a who's who list that includes football coaches with a reputation for being on the cutting edge (Southern Cal's Pete Carroll) and those with a lower hipness quotient (West Virginia's Bill Stewart).

USC coaches sell their vision

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:02 EDT

GREENVILLE — A large banner hung on the wall that asked, “Why Not Us?”

The message was to members of the Gamecock Club, supporters of the University of South Carolina athletic program, who held a “Carolina Now” spring meeting at the Carolina First Center on Wednesday evening.

Carolina basketball coaches Dawn Staley and Darrin Horn visited Upstate fans to share their plans to hang championship banners in Columbia.

“You have to be patient with it,” said Staley, who led the Carolina women’s team to a 10-18 record this season and a 2-12 mark in the SEC.

“It takes a bit to change what people think of the University of South Carolina outside the state,” she added. “Once you get a bird’s-eye view of what we have to offer, I think you can find that you can be very successful at the University of South Carolina, especially at a time when we are moving in the right direction. We’ve got some momentum.”

USC hoops recruit grabs another top honor

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:03 EDT

Highly touted USC basketball recruit Kelsey Bone received another national honor this week, making USA Today's All-USA First Team.

The 6-foot-5 Bone, from Sugar Land, Texas, is the biggest piece of this year's four-player class for coach Dawn Staley. Bone, rated the country’s No. 2 recruit by one Web site, picked Staley and the Gamecocks over Texas and Texas A&M among others.

Bone also made the Parade Magazine All-America first team for the second-straight year, with future Gamecock teammate Ieasia Walker (Copiague, N.Y.) earning a spot on the Parade third team.

Bone, who averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and two blocked shots per game as a senior at Dulles High, surprised a lot of teachers and classmates when she chose the Gamecocks over Texas and Texas A&M.

“There was definitely fallout, probably more so than with any other recruit that’s ever left the state,” she said. “It really didn’t bother me, because I felt I was doing what was best for me and what was right for me in the long run.”

USC signee indicted on robbery charges

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:06 EDT

Beach High (Ga.) girls’ basketball star Monique Willis, a South Carolina signee, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm, according to Lydia Sermons, public information officer of the Chatham County district attorney’s office.

Sermons said evidence has surfaced linking Willis to three men who face similar charges in connection with several robberies on Jan. 14, 2008. The story was first reported by The Savannah Morning News.

It is Willis’ second legal issue in the past two weeks. She faces charges of theft by shoplifting, simple battery and criminal damage to property for allegedly trying to steal clothes from Macy’s in the Oglethorpe Mall on April 3.

During Wednesday’s press conference on National Signing Day, USC women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley said she had yet to speak with Willis about the shoplifting charges, but said she hopes to next week.

“She’s still ours,” Staley said Wednesday. “She signed with us, so we’re going to see her through the process.”

Signing day: First impressions help Staley

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:27 EDT

After a Houston Comets game during Dawn Staley’s final WNBA season, a young ninth-grader from the Houston area was introduced to the women’s basketball legend.

Though Staley does not recall the meeting, it made quite an impression on Kelsey Bone.

“I was floored to be meeting the Dawn Staley. I was only a freshman, so I was kind of googly-eyed,” Bone said. “But it’s one of the those things that you don’t forget as a young kid.”

If things go as Staley hopes, South Carolina basketball fans soon might be getting googly-eyed over Bone.

Two weeks after announcing her choice during the McDonald’s All-American game, Bone made it official Wednesday by signing with the Gamecocks on the first day of the spring signing period.