‘I’m lovin’ it!’ Dawn Staley has fun with coaches’ McDonald’s All-American comments
“Ba da ba ba ba ... I’m Lovin’ It.”
Yes, that’s the McDonald’s commercial jingle, but it was also the totality of a seven-second message South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley posted to social media on Monday.
The video wasn’t a way for Staley to shout out the fast food chain. It was, however, her way of having fun with opposing coaches who remark at the depth of McDonald’s All-Americans on the Gamecocks roster. The fast food giant has been the namesake to the annual high school All-American team since the late 1970s.
“Sometimes I have fun with it,” Staley told reporters Wednesday.
The latest All-American remarks came from Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks after the Gamecocks beat the Wildcats 78-66 on Sunday.
Brooks was recalling how far his team had come in his first year at the helm of the program. Kentucky lost two players to injury (Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurova) before the season, and Brooks said having those two players would’ve helped in games like the one against South Carolina.
“Those two kids are probably going to be, definitely in a rotation, maybe starters and in a game like this you need it,” Brooks said. “They were bringing in McDonald’s All-Americans for McDonald’s All-Americans. ... And they were fresh. Going down the stretch, I think it was four minutes ago, it was like maybe a one-possession game, and that really elevated them.”
Brooks is not the first coach to make note of South Carolina’s depth this season. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey made similar comments after the Gamecocks beat the Tigers 66-56 in January, notably saying, “I don’t know that I’ve ever coached against a team that’s got 10 McDonald’s All-Americans on a roster.”
Mulkey acknowledged fatigue could have played a part in LSU’s loss, but gave credit to South Carolina’s ability to stay fresh due to the depth of the roster.
“Well, you’ve got 10 McDonald’s All-Americans. Flip a coin, y’all can play any of them you want. Got to keep them happy, right?” Mulkey said. “I don’t have that. I’ve got to go with what I have, what I feel in my gut.”
Staley has in fact assembled a roster with 10 McDonald’s All-Americans on it. She has coached a total of 26 McDonald’s All-Americans during her time with the Gamecocks, including 20 who signed as freshmen.
To Mulkey’s point, not all of South Carolina’s McDonald’s All-Americans have stayed with the team. Talaysia Cooper (Tennessee) and Sania Rivers (N.C. State) are two who chose to transfer out of Columbia.
During her weekly media interview Wednesday, Staley was asked how she sifts through the conversation, most of which seems to be remarks or even complaints from opposing coaches and fans on social media, around her loaded roster.
“I would imagine that no one’s turning down McDonald’s All-Americans,” she said. “We’re just fortunate. And just so you know, just because you got a McDonald’s All-American doesn’t mean you got a great player.”
Staley said the program’s history and the way her staff is able to establish relationships on the recruiting trail are what has led to so many McDonald’s All-Americans choosing the Gamecocks.
“For us, we’ve attracted them because of the style of play, the style of discipline, the winning tradition, the growth, the producing pros,” Staley said. “That’s what attracts McDonald’s All-Americans to us. And not even just that, we create meaningful relationships with the household. Not just the recruit, the entire household. So if the household’s happy, we’ve done our job.”
Opposing coaches who are frustrated by the amount of McDonald’s All-Americans on South Carolina’s roster won’t get a break any time soon.
The Gamecocks will be adding two more next season, thanks to signee Ayla McDowell and commitment Agot Makeer.
“There’s a lot of happy meals to go around,” Staley said.
This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM.
