South Carolina coach Dawn Staley can’t shake off Caitlin Clark and the 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes from her head. After pulling off 62-48 upset of UConn in the Final Four on Friday, Staley named one game she still can’t forget. Staley said that the loss to Clark and Co. still “haunts me.”
Staley’s remark prompted fans to react. One fan wrote:
“Oh Lordy. Caitlin Clark has broken so many people’s minds.”
Another fan added:
“To be talked about yearssss later after winning, just shows the mark she left.”
One more fan continued:
“The queen never pays rent.”
Another fan continued:
“Cait Voodooo never been more real.”
One fan tweeted:
“Clark has that effect on folks.”
During the 2022-23 season, South Carolina, the then-reigning champ, went 32-0 entering the NCAA tournament. Behind Aliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso, Zia Cooke, Victoria Saxton and Brea Beal, the Gamecocks ran roughshod over their opponents. They won their March Madness games by an average of 22.5 points before meeting Caitlin Clark’s Iowa in the Final Four.
Clark dazzled in that game, dropping 41 points on 15-for-31 shooting. She added eight rebounds and six assists to drag the Hawkeyes to a 77-73 upset win. Clark’s incredible performance pushed Iowa to the championship game for the first time in school history.
Staley rebounded from that loss by helping the Gamecocks to the 2024 championship. Like a script written in Hollywood, South Carolina won the rematch, 87-75, against Caitlin Clark and Co. to reclaim the title.
Despite the years and the success, Staley admits she is still haunted by that loss.
“That Hurt Me to My Core”: Dawn Staley on South Carolina’s Loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in 2023
Dawn Staley’s feelings after South Carolina lost to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in 2023 haven’t changed over the years. During an interview with “Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay” in June 2025, she shared what that defeat meant to her:
“That one hurt me really bad. The failures hurt more than the victories. Not for me, for my players. Great people, great competitors, so I wanted them to win. I wanted them to go off with a bang. … They were hurt, and that hurt me. And that hurt me to my core.”
South Carolina is on the cusp of another NCAA championship. The Gamecocks will play the winner of the UCLA-Texas showdown to determine the last team standing.
Another potential championship, Staley’s fourth, will not likely erase the sting of losing to Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes in 2023.
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