South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley, fresh off her team breaking viewership numbers in their matchup against the LSU Tigers, recently shouted out another rival coach when talking about the current landscape of the sport.
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, college basketball reporter Matt Dowell took it to his X/Twitter account to upload a clip from Staley’s most recent media availability, wherein she was asked about the current schedule of conference games.
This comes as Staley and her players are coming off a hotly contested matchup against their arch rivals, coach Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers, in away territory back on Saturday, Feb. 14, which became the most-watched women’s collegiate hoops game of the year so far.
Staley expressed that she doesn’t mind having an off-day on Sundays, as this was once resonated by Texas Longhorns tactician Vic Schaefer in a prior interview.
“ I really liked it, actually. I liked the rest, you know, towards the, you know, beginning and then the afterwards. And I know, probably, Vic and, damn, what’s his name? Texas A&M coach. Old coach. Coach Blair, right? They’ve been pushing playing on Saturdays for a long time since they got into the SEC. And they were like, having a Sunday off is work, from a work-life balance, a great thing, and I really enjoyed the Sunday,” Staley shared.
Staley’s Gamecocks and Schaefer’s Longhorns played against each other in mid-January in the former’s home court, the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. In that game, Staley and Co. beat Texas by a mere three points, 68-65.
South Carolina is coming off its biggest win of the year when it beat the Tigers by seven points, 79-72, in away territory.
Dawn Staley Said That It’s Harder To Have Away Games On Sundays
Later in her most recent media availability, Dawn Staley mentioned that she doesn’t mind playing on Sundays as it sets up a week that balances both games and practices similar to her days competing in the PAC-12. But she did admit that nowadays, it is harder to travel on Sundays and if it keeps up, it may not entail the results that each SEC team is seeking.
“ Sunday is, that’s hard and hard to travel. That’s really hard. And, I don’t think you would have the product that you need, or the results that a conference like us, we need in order for, to get everybody in a tournament that’s deserving of it,” Staley said.
The Gamecocks will be on the road once again as they take on the No. 25 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Thursday.
