South Carolina’s Cliney quickly learning in Staley’s system

It was a crash course in Dawn 101.

Doniyah Cliney was recruited to South Carolina for a reason. USC coach Dawn Staley saw greatness in her, and was willing to wait through one semester where she couldn’t practice, another where she could but not play and still another when she ripped a thumb ligament off the bone just before the season began.

The plan was to work her in gradually, letting her get several minutes behind the regulars and then be set up for the future.

The plan changed when Shay Colley and Kaydra Duckett left the team and Asia Dozier went down with a hand injury. Suddenly too thin on the bench, Staley decided to go with Cliney in the starting lineup over senior Tina Roy.

“It wasn’t easy at first,” Cliney said. “It was hard to try to get used to college basketball. I still had the high-school mentality.”

That rapidly departed. Playing guard for Staley leaves no room for error.

“There are certain instances where she is getting better, some instances where she’s got to get better,” Staley said. “We’re putting her out there, and we’re kind of setting her up to fail, but she’s got to know she’s got to keep people in front of her.”

Cliney has started the last three games, and played at least 17 minutes in each of the last five. She might start her fourth straight at Alabama on Monday, although Dozier has returned to practice and should play.

Either way, Cliney will play and try to remember everything Staley has drilled her on. Be aggressive, but not too aggressive. Play fast, but in control. Score when there’s an opportunity, but keep your teammates involved.

It’s a lot, but when Cliney looks at the other guards that have come through, she wants to take her place. This year’s senior class will be the program’s all-time winningest with one more victory, and Cliney could be part of the group that breaks that record in a few years.

“I’m very comfortable now. Just still getting used to it,” Cliney said. “It’s a little bit of everything, the intangibles, the hustle plays.”

Staley likes Cliney’s athleticism, speed and ability to play each end of the floor, and wants her to keep developing. She would’ve preferred to use a slower process, but had no other option.

“It’ll come,” Staley said. “We’ve thrown her out there. Because of that, you’re going to have to deal with some of the young mistakes, the inexperience. But we want her to continue to keep better. She’s not the type of kid that we can allow her to just relax, because if she does, she lets her guard down. We want her guard up.”

Cliney’s guard is up, as it was while staying positive and focused through nearly two years of not playing.

“It was frustrating, but it was all mental,” Cliney said. “I was going to fight through it and get back on the court.”

This story was originally published February 21, 2016 at 4:08 PM with the headline "South Carolina’s Cliney quickly learning in Staley’s system."