Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks are taking on the TCU Horned Frogs in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks are having a difficult time dispatching the Horned Frogs despite being the heavy favorites to advance to the Final Four round.
At some points in the first half of the encounter, TCU even took the lead in the game. This happened between 7:55 and 7:33, when Donovyn Hunter and Olivia Miles scored a couple of back-to-back three-pointers, putting the Horned Frogs ahead 22-18. After scoring her three-pointer, Miles could be seen celebrating while running backwards and signaling to the crowd with her hands to highlight her achievement.
Agot Makeer and Joyce Edwards made sure the Gamecocks regained the lead, but the mere fact that Staley’s team lost the lead is something unexpected for a team that has been used to huge leads during the NCAA Tournament, even this late in the postseason.
Joyce Edwards is currently leading South Carolina in scoring, with 14 points, followed by Raven Johnson’s 10 points. Olivia Miles leads TCU in the category, but she’s the only player on her team to have scored double-digit points.
Dawn Staley’s Question to all South Carolina Transfer Targets
The Gamecocks’ boss recently spoke about a whole different matter from the NCAA Tournament: the transfer portal. As a reminder that on the back of her mind, recruitment is always there, despite the team being deep in the postseason, Dawn Staley told the press that she’s always leading discussions with transfer portal targets with NIL details.
“How much is it going to cost us?” That’s the question Staley admitted now comes up early in every serious discussion. “You’ve got to lead with that. Because you don’t really want to waste your time. You either are going to have enough to pay players or you don’t. And you move on.”
“I don’t like to promise anything that isn’t available to us,” she continued. “I don’t want to have to go out and get the money because you could be told no and then your back is against the wall.”
It’s an interesting admission by someone who, by all accounts, could be considered a traditional coach. It’s a sign of how college athletics have changed in the last few years, considering that less than a decade ago, it was illegal to pay student-athletes. It’s a definite sign of the times.
Nonetheless, she also highlighted the importance of traditional education as the unique offering of college sports, boasting that all her players, but one, have graduated with bachelor’s degrees.
Also Read: After Dawn Staley’s Comment on SEC Tournament Loss, Candace Parker And Aliyah Boston Compare Pat Summitt And South Carolina HC
Read More: Dawn Staley Shouts on Top of Her Voice to Welcome Jerzy Robinson; A’ja Wilson Sends Invaluable Advice for South Carolina Recruit
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