South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley addressed the media following her team’s bounce-back victory over Vanderbilt, offering insights into critical lineup changes and her team’s development, according to On3.
Key Lineup Decision: Bringing Madina Okot Off the Bench
The most significant tactical adjustment Staley discussed was moving freshman center Madina Okot to the bench rather than starting her. The coach was emphatic that this wasn’t punitive, explaining the decision with historical context from her program.
“Madina (Okot) is not the scapegoat, at all. And I made sure I told her that it’s not. It was totally giving her a look at the game,” Staley said, according to On3.
Staley drew parallels to how she managed WNBA star A’Ja Wilson early in her collegiate career. She noted that dominant post players like Wilson and Aliyah Boston “built to that moment” rather than being thrust into pressure situations as freshmen. The adjustment paid immediate dividends—Okot responded with 17 points off the bench.
Offensive Strategy Evolution
The Gamecocks scored 55 first-half points despite limited minutes from point guard Raven Johnson, who played just three minutes in the opening half. Staley credited deliberate practice adjustments made after their loss to Oklahoma.
“We’ve been really aggressive, one pass shots, keeping the ball on one side of the floor. So we wanted to be a little bit more patient and getting ball reversals,” she explained to On3.
This strategic shift toward ball movement and patience created cleaner scoring opportunities regardless of which guard was running the offense.
Defensive Excellence Against Mikayla Blakes
Staley praised her team’s defensive effort against Vanderbilt’s leading scorer Mikayla Blakes, particularly highlighting backup guard Maddy McDaniel’s individual defense.
“We want her to make hard shots. We wanted her to make shots in which she doesn’t get very many open looks,” Staley told On3, emphasizing the team’s commitment to contesting every possession.
Ta’Niya Latson’s Response
After a subpar performance against Oklahoma, forward Ta’Niya Latson bounced back strongly. Staley attributed this to Latson’s competitive nature and two-way impact.
“She’s a competitor, like she only wants to see herself play and perform at the highest level and when she’s anything but that, she makes adjustments,” the coach said, per On3.
Team Identity and Development
Staley offered a candid assessment of where her team stands compared to South Carolina’s championship-caliber squads of the past. She acknowledged that this group is still finding its identity after just 21 games together.
“We’re not who we were in the past and we can’t compare those teams to this team because we’re just so new and different,” Staley admitted to On3.
Despite the growing pains, she expressed satisfaction with how the team responded to adversity and maintained the program’s remarkable streak of avoiding back-to-back losses—now at 240 games dating back to 2018-19.
Looking Ahead and Gratitude
Staley previewed the upcoming road matchup against Auburn, praising first-year coach Larry Vickers and warning about the difficulty of SEC road games. She concluded by thanking fans who braved dangerous winter weather to support the team, expressing concern after learning about car accidents near the arena.
“I’m praying that they are safe and I’m praying that traveling grace to each and every person that came into the building to help us get a win, that they get home safely,” Staley said, according to On3.
The victory demonstrated South Carolina’s ability to make difficult adjustments while maintaining championship standards, even as this younger roster continues building chemistry and finding its collective identity.
Source: On3
