What Dawn Staley said after Gamecocks’ dominant NCAA win over Southern Cal
The South Carolina women’s basketball team is headed to the Sweet 16.
The No. 1-seeded Gamecocks defeated No. 9 seed Southern Cal, 101-61, on Monday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Colonial Life Arena.
South Carolina will face No. 4 seed Oklahoma on Saturday in Sacramento.
Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley met with the media following the game:
Raven Johnson’s final game and getting recognition she deserves
“People are finally seeing what she means to our program, what she has meant to our program and what the legacy she leaves here will be lasting. I can’t be serious with Raven and I just checked her temperature and her eyes were big. That means she is locked in. She just wants to win another national championship and I hope she gets that because I do think she deserves it.”
Gamecocks strong starts in first two tournament games
“I think we’re starting to connect. I do think the excitement of playing in the NCAA tournament has lifted them to play connected basketball, to know that the stakes are high at this point. It takes a win to advance. I think that it’s bringing out the ultra competitiveness in them.”
The USC vs USC matchup and bragging rights
“I think that’s probably more of a fan thing and something to discuss on social media. Obviously, we want to play the game because they’re a top-10 program in the country and they got some pretty talented players. And then they will be super talented next year, so I’m sure -- actually, I’m not even going to go there right now. I’m just going to enjoy actually advancing to the Sweet 16 because who they’re bringing to the table next year should be a truly quality opponent in November.”
Rematch with Oklahoma
“We know we also have a really good team ahead of us in Oklahoma, someone that beat us this year, and that we are going to be challenged. So if we are so blessed enough to make it to the Elite 8, we know we beat an incredible, hungry basketball team.”
About the in-season loss to the Sooners: “I thought they were on, I think, a three-game losing streak, and they wanted to win. I mean, it was imperative that they win the game that we played them, just for morale, just for making a run in our league. I thought they wanted it more, and they played that way. I thought we played, wanting it for about a two-minute stretch to get it tied up, and then we really had a chance to win it in regulation, but didn’t come up with a good look. We turned the basketball over.
“So it was just a battle of wills and their will was much stronger than ours in that particular game.”
Development of Agot Makeer
“I think Agot’s been building towards playing the way she’s been playing. Like, she’s been playing very consistently. I do think that when she knows she’s going to play, she practices better, she prepares better, she focuses, better. And that’s probably just, you know, a young thing.
“But I think she’s probably the most talented guard that we have on our roster, like, just both sides of the ball. I’ve said that a number of times. She just needs to get playing experience under her belt. As you can see, the more she plays, the more you can see what she can do out there on both sides of the floor, and I think it’s just a tip of the iceberg. I think she’s got more in her tank and she’s got more to give and more to grow. Once she’s able to do that, you’ll see just a really incredibly gifted player.”
Gamecocks leading the nation in attendance for 12th straight year
“The fans are like no other. I think they have created not a movement, but a lifestyle. It’s a lifestyle for people to set their schedules to come to our game. They budget to come to our games, to buy season tickets, to go on the road, to support us. You can do some marketing ploys, you can do some of that, but what’s happened here is pretty magical. I think it was done by word of mouth. It was done by people enjoying themselves and then buying more and more season tickets so other people can experience it, and then from that, it really just has grown.
“Culturally it’s what we do here. It’s a beautiful thing. It really is. It is hard to duplicate, but certainly the way you do it is you give access. We give our fans access to us. ... They want more and more and more. And they come in numbers. So it is quite an honor to play before them each and every game.”
