The South Carolina Gamecocks are stepping into the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a target on their backs and a championship mindset. Head coach Dawn Staley, a mastermind of tournament success, knows that when the pressure mounts, having been there before makes all the difference.
However, they don’t have any All-America first, second, or third-team honorees this season. Nonetheless, they possess something far more valuable—the experience of winning on the biggest stage.
Dawn Staley on the Value of Experience
Now, with the Gamecocks aiming for back-to-back national championships, Staley is banking on her team’s battle-tested resilience. Especially to guide them through another grueling March Madness run.
For the past three years, South Carolina has been a fixture in the late rounds of the NCAA Tournament. They won the national title in 2022 and made it to the Final Four in 2023. Not only that, but it also claimed another championship in 2024. Few teams in the country can match that level of consistent postseason success, and Staley believes that experience is what sets her squad apart.
“I mean it’s paramount that you have experience playing, doing deep into this tournament. It is paramount,” Staley said, per an X post from Matt Dowell.
.@GamecockWBB seniors have won two national championships.
Dawn Staley on the importance of experience going deep at the NCAA Tournament:
“Yes, you can get lucky. But at some point, the experience kicks in.”@wachfox pic.twitter.com/qxkbEVxaIi
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) March 20, 2025
“Yes, you can get lucky. But at some point, the experience kicks in.”
She emphasized that experience isn’t just about having played in big games. It’s more about knowing how to handle high-pressure moments.
“When you’re in a tight situation, it kicks in, and in preparation, it kicks in. Because I think when we first started going to the tournament… I was actually tired. I was tired because we weren’t used to playing during that time in March,” she added. “Now we’ve built the stamina to do it, and it has paid off.”
Gamecocks Begin Their Title Defense
South Carolina’s quest for another national championship begins on March 21 at 4 PM ET. That’s when they take on No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech at Colonial Life Arena. The Golden Eagles enter the tournament with a 17-game winning streak. This made them a confident and dangerous opponent.
This year’s South Carolina roster might not have a single first-team All-American. However, it does have players like Bree Hall and Sania Feagin, and they have been integral parts of multiple deep tournament runs. With several returners from last year’s championship-winning squad, Staley’s team knows what it takes to navigate the ups and downs of the tournament.
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If the Gamecocks manage to capture another title, they will become the first team to win consecutive championships since UConn accomplished the feat in 2016. That’s a milestone that South Carolina has had its eyes on all season.
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