How Gamecock newcomers are finding inspiration from Staley, Wilson at Olympics
When Dawn Staley makes it to practice, it’s a family affair.
The South Carolina women’s basketball team shares hugs and good energy flows across the court. Sometimes the Gamecocks will get to play with Staley’s beloved Havanese dog, Champ.
“We love when Coach Staley is at practice,” first-year guard Saniya Rivers said. “It’s just a big family thing.”
Rivers and the rest of USC’s freshmen started practicing June 20, just as Staley was flying back from the United States’ 2021 FIBA Women’s Americup victory in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Staley made it to a few South Carolina practices between recruiting visits before Olympic training began in Las Vegas on July 12.
Staley’s now almost 7,000 miles away in Tokyo as she coaches Team USA into the Olympic quarterfinals, but she hasn’t left the Gamecocks in the dark. Freshman point guard Raven Johnson said Staley sends notes from across the globe, and she’s always open to answer text messages despite the distance.
“She texts back quick,” Johnson said. “That’s what I love about her.”
Johnson is inspired by her coach’s success in the Olympics. A fellow point guard, Staley was winning Olympic gold medals as both a player and a coach with Team USA throughout Johnson’s early childhood — and even before she was born.
Johnson admitted she was nervous to practice with such an accomplished coach when she first made it to Columbia, but the transition from Atlanta high school basketball to the nationally competitive Gamecocks was made easy. The coaching staff helped get her acclimated, and Staley’s direction, whether from the sidelines or from Tokyo, is always taken to heart.
“Anything she does, I look up to her,” Johnson said.
Staley isn’t the only Gamecock inspiring the newcomers from Japan. Rivers feels motivated every time she walks by A’ja Wilson’s statue in front of Colonial Life Arena.
“Seeing her statue outside, it’s just like, ‘Wow, she really made it,’ ” Rivers said. “I’ve always looked up to her.”
Wilson is living up to her illustrious Gamecock career in the Olympics, leading Team USA’s charge to a gold medal in her first appearance. Wilson was Team USA’s best scorer in all three of its group round victories and has already notched two double-doubles.
Before the Olympics got underway, freshman guard Bree Hall said she hoped to watch as many Team USA games live as she could — despite the fact they’ve all been scheduled to start at 12:40 a.m. Eastern time.
Staley and Wilson continue their campaign to Team USA’s seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal through the knockout round this week. Two more wins, and the Americans will play in the gold medal game on Saturday.
Thanks to the time difference in Japan, the gold medal matchup will have another late-night start, but a 10:30 p.m. weekend start will be a bit easier for the Gamecocks’ newcomers to watch.
Should Team USA advance to the final game, Rivers, Johnson, Hall and all of the Gamecocks will have a shot to see their coach and a role model victorious on the world stage.
When it all wraps up, Staley will return to Columbia to coach some of 2021’s top recruits before their first season of SEC hoops. She’ll be greeted by plenty of hugs, a lot of excitement and a more developed team, Rivers said.
“Practices are still always competitive,” Rivers said. “The assistant coaches make sure that we have everything Coach Staley wants us to do. We get it done so that when she comes back, it’ll be like she never left.”
