BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is adapting her recruiting strategy to fit the changing realities of the NIL and revenue-sharing era, and she’s doing it with confidence and conviction.
Speaking Tuesday at SEC Tipoff ‘26, Staley opened up about how she’s managing the new landscape — one where financial offers often dominate recruiting pitches. Despite having only one 2026 commitment so far, forward Kelsi Andrews, Staley made it clear she’s not panicking.
“Rev share is impacting everyone on different levels,” Staley said. “You’ve got to be creative in this space. I certainly don’t overpromise when it comes to rev share and NIL. I’m only going to spread it out with what we have in hand.”
Her comments appeared to reference ongoing whispers that some programs have been offering recruits more money than they can actually deliver. Staley didn’t name names but didn’t deny those rumors either.
“If it’s all about the money, right, they’re a lot cheaper the second time around,” she said with a smile. “So I’m okay with letting them go.”
While some coaches may chase recruits with inflated NIL offers, Staley is focused on long-term culture and development — and history shows her approach works.
Dating back to South Carolina’s 2017 national championship, transfers have played major roles in Staley’s success. That title-winning team featured Allisha Gray and Kaela Davis, both transfers before the current era of easy player movement.
The trend continued with the 2024 undefeated national championship squad, powered by transfer stars Te-Hina Paopao and Kamilla Cardoso. This offseason, South Carolina added Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot, two more high-impact transfers drawn to Columbia by Staley’s proven track record.
“I think we’ve got a quality program that produces pros,” Staley said. “When you are at a point in your career as a young person, when that becomes the priority, we always get a look the second time around. I’m okay with that as well.”
And she has the receipts to back it up. Staley’s former players are thriving in the WNBA, headlined by A’ja Wilson, widely regarded as one of the league’s greatest ever. Gray earned First-Team All-WNBA honors, Aliyah Boston was Second-Team, and Cardoso made the All-Rookie Team. Paopao, meanwhile, contributed for an Atlanta Dream squad that finished second in the league standings.
For new Gamecocks like Latson and Okot, that legacy of professional success was a decisive factor.
“If you reflect on the history, she’s been able to produce very good foreign players and center players that are doing very, very good in the WNBA,” Okot said. “That’s what motivated me.”
As Staley navigates this evolving era of college athletics, her message remains consistent: the Gamecocks don’t buy players — they build pros.
