Staley’s message of urgency to Gamecocks as SEC play ramps up: ‘We’re the hunted’
South Carolina women’s basketball closed 2020 and opened 2021 like it wanted — with a pair of wins to get through the first week of SEC play.
The No. 5 Gamecocks never trailed for a second in either of those victories over Florida and Alabama but they didn’t seem completely invincible either. And with the lofty goals they have, not to mention the lingering example of last year’s top-ranked squad, coach Dawn Staley had a simple explanation Monday night for why she didn’t seem over the moon about the two victories.
“There’s no doubt we’re very capable. And when I say this, I‘m not really concentrating on today. I’m looking at the big picture,” Staley said after a 77-60 road win over Alabama.. “We got a tough stretch of our conference season coming up, we got a game versus UConn in February, we got an SEC Tournament, and then hopefully on to the NCAA tournament. We’re looking further down the line, because we know that if we stay where we are today, we’re exiting early out of the SEC tournament and we won’t really get a chance to defend our regular-season championship in the SEC.”
One of Staley’s biggest concerns through these first two games has been on defense, where she pointed to a need for “grittiness” to push the team forward and take more control of games. Against both Florida and Alabama, South Carolina led by double digits at halftime and were on the precipice of blowing things wide open. In both games, the opponent rallied and shot above 55% in the third quarter, hanging around just enough to make things interesting.
“We compete, but we got to compete at the level of what people are bringing to the table, meaning we’re the hunted, and we can’t act as if that’s not the case,” Staley said after the Florida game. “Everybody that plays us, if they have any kind of success against us, a 10-0 run, an 8-0 run, you know, it gives them momentum. So we got to create some energy for ourselves out there on the floor.”
Staley says USC has ‘one of the best backcourts in the country’
On offense, Staley said her squad is still developing a “connectedness” that leads to better flow, especially in half-court situations. The key player to all of that is likely junior guard Destanni Henderson. Staley has said several times that Henderson plays her best when she plays with tempo, slashing and speeding through defenses in transition with straight-line drives. Henderson told the SEC Network after going for 20 points against Alabama that she was still learning to guide the entire team.
“It’s definitely a challenge. I feel like this is really my first time really trying to take control on the court,” Henderson said. “And I feel like if we’re all on the same page, it makes the game so much easier for me just to recognize what’s happening on the court.”
The scoring totals haven’t always been there — she tallied just two points against Florida — but Henderson’s steady confidence and her ability to contribute in a variety of ways make her an under-the-radar player, Staley said.
“Now that she’s out front, people should notice her,” Staley said. “When the Dawn Staley Award (given to the nation’s best point guard) comes out, she’ll be on it. ... We got one of the best backcourts in the country.”
Zia Cooke a top scorer in the SEC
Henderson’s backcourt running mate, sophomore guard Zia Cooke, is off to a productive start in SEC play, tallying 44 points in these past two games to lead the team. Averaging 18.75 points per game, she’s one of the SEC’s top scorers.
“Zia’s come into the season with a huge chip on her shoulder, not for any reason besides wanting to be the best,” Staley said. “She’s extremely coachable. She wants to know all the the good, the bad, the ugly of her game. ...
“She can score points, without a doubt, I mean, she can get anywhere she wants to go on the floor. The complete part of Zia is she’s gotta stop (players like Alabama’s Jordan Lewis) when she’s putting her team on her back and trying to will them to a win, because she’s very capable of making great plays defensively. But no doubt about it, she’s one of the best guards in the country.”
Cooke herself said several weeks ago that South Carolina hasn’t hit its full potential yet, predicting that when the Gamecocks did, it would “be scary.” After defeating Alabama, she was asked if they were any closer.
“It’s coming. You know, I honestly do not believe we’re there yet or where we need to be, but you’ll see it,” she promised.
