COLUMBIA, SC – In a revealing press conference, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley pulled back the curtain on her team’s injury situation, strategic adjustments, and a glaring weakness that’s been haunting the No. 3 Gamecocks all season.
According to On3, when asked about the status of injured players Adhel “Allie” Tournebize and Ta’Niya Latson ahead of Thursday’s Arkansas showdown, Staley was direct: “No, probably not. They’re ramping up, though, which is good.”
The Arkansas Challenge
Staley didn’t sugarcoat what makes this Arkansas team dangerous. “What they’re doing is, they’re spreading you out,” she explained to On3. “Do they shoot threes? Yes, they shoot threes, but I think their M.O. is to control the paint through the threat of shooting threes.”
Her game plan is aggressive: “We have to guard both. We have to protect the paint. We probably got to speed them up a little bit, make them play faster than they want to play, and then rebound the ball.”
The Missing Piece: High-Low Game
Here’s the bombshell that should concern Gamecock fans: South Carolina’s once-dominant high-low game has virtually disappeared. “Our high-low game has been nonexistent,” Staley admitted to On3. “We’ve been really good at high-low game, like, for a long time, and maybe we get one a game, maybe.”
This is stunning considering South Carolina’s tradition of interior dominance. The high-low game—where a post player receives the ball and immediately finds a cutting teammate for an easy basket—has been a staple of championship teams. Its absence represents a significant offensive limitation.
Enter Adhel “Allie” Tournebize
The solution may be arriving soon. Tournebize, whom Staley has nicknamed “Allie,” could be the key to unlocking South Carolina’s struggling interior passing game. “Her ability to shoot from the outside, her ability just to kind of see over defenses,” Staley told On3, could transform the offense.
“I think bringing Allie into the fold, we’ll get a lot more opportunities,” Staley explained. “And sometimes when players see other players doing it, it becomes contagious.”
Tournebize’s adjustment has impressed the Hall of Fame coach. “She’s been a pro, so she understands what she needs to do,” Staley said, referencing her professional experience. The cautious approach continues: “We don’t want to just throw her out there. It’s unfair to her to do that.”
Okot’s Dominance Journey
Staley also addressed Madina Okot’s development, revealing the mental challenges of playing for a program with championship expectations. “Playing for us is probably a little bit different than playing for a Mississippi State, where every single missed shot or missed layup or missed defensive assignment is scrutinized and magnified,” she told On3.
“For us, dominance is just to stay confident through it,” Staley emphasized. “Don’t get too high with the highs or low to the lows.”
Makeer’s Breakthrough
Agot Makeer has seized her opportunity with both hands. “She’s had two great practices, like, really great practices, where she’s playing on both sides of the ball,” Staley said. “I do think she’s somewhat of a gamer.”
This creates an interesting rotation problem when Latson returns. Staley’s solution? “We’ve been playing our starters for 30-plus minutes. So we’d like to knock that number down a lot if we can.”
The Championship Culture
When asked about fostering team support, Staley revealed the program’s DNA: “At some point in everybody’s career here, some teammate has helped them. You always feel indebted to give what you’ve been given.”
“We try to make sure that players are just confident, even on bad days,” she told On3. “We’ve all been there.”
As South Carolina heads to Fayetteville, the pieces are coming together—but that missing high-low game remains the elephant in the room. Can Tournebize’s return solve it? Gamecock Nation is waiting.
Source: On3
