South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley fielded questions Wednesday covering multiple aspects of her team’s current situation, from persistent free throw challenges to freshman integration and an upcoming SEC road test against Oklahoma.
Managing Free Throw Woes Without Creating Mental Blocks
When asked about coaching through the team’s free throw shooting struggles without exacerbating the problem, Staley emphasized a pragmatic, pressure-free approach.
“I don’t. I mean, we’re just dealing with it. We practice them every day. Any time that we’re competing and we get fouled shooting, we’ll shoot them. We’re going through all the scenarios to just get out of this,” Staley explained to On3. “I think just as much as you get in a rut, you can get yourself out of it. You just got to make them get out of it. I know they’re not intentionally missing them, but it’s a rut that we’ll try to fight to get out (of), because we don’t want to lose a basketball game depending on having to make free throws.”
Tournebize Showing Fearlessness in Early Appearances
Discussing freshman forward Alicia Tournebize’s initial games—a debut against Texas followed by expanded minutes against Coppin State—Staley highlighted the psychological attributes that stand out above technical proficiency.
“I like that she’s unafraid. You may not know everything that’s going on out there, but she’s willing to be out there. Like, she’s unafraid. Her number’s called, she’s hopping up and wants to get in the basketball game,” Staley told On3. “I don’t know if we’re gonna get the true test of what she is going to become in this short period of time, but we’re gonna try. We’re gonna try. We know she’s got a soft touch. We know she’s unafraid. I mean, that’s half the battle. I do think she really understands basketball, but I do think we can probably get a little bit better with just our high-low, and our ability to shoot from the perimeter from that position. I know we can get that. We just got to get her to continue to get acclimated. Practices are much better, obviously, because she’s getting acclimated to things. So we’ll see. We’ll keep throwing her in there. She’ll keep getting the opportunity to play. I do think she can move the needle for us at some point.”
Regarding Tournebize’s overall adjustment to the program, Staley expressed satisfaction with both the player’s readiness and the team’s welcoming culture.
“She’s ready. I mean, in everything that she talked about during the recruiting process, everything her parents want for her, it’s right here. And I do think she’s comfortable. I do think our players have done a great job with just getting her acclimated, just making sure she has what she needs, and she feels the comfort of being part of our team and feeling the love from her teammates and our players and our staff,” Staley said, according to On3.
Full Roster Healthy for Oklahoma Challenge
Staley confirmed that center Adhel Tac has recovered from her nose injury and the entire roster is available.
“Yeah, Adhel’s great. Everybody was good to go. Full roster, healthy, got up and down. We’re good,” she reported to On3.
All Five Post Players Expected to Contribute Against Beers
With Oklahoma featuring All-American post Raegan Beers, Staley anticipates deploying her entire frontcourt rotation, including Maryam Dauda, who performed well off the bench against the Sooners in the SEC Tournament.
“The five of (the post players), five of them will play at some point. At some point, the five of them will be needed. I think (Reagan) Beers is a handful that we got to just show her different looks, and we got five different looks to throw at her,” Staley stated to On3.
No Opponent Taken Lightly in SEC Play
Despite Oklahoma’s recent three-game losing streak, Staley dismissed any notion of complacency heading into Thursday’s road contest.
“Whether they won five straight, three straight, lost, it’s a dangerous game, and we don’t think going in just because they lost three that it’s an automatic for us. We know this league. We know this league, and we know the strength of it, we know the weaknesses of it, which there aren’t very many of them. So to go on the road, to win, it’s a hard feat no matter who you’re playing, and you don’t take Oklahoma lightly,” she emphasized to On3.
Searching for Positive Momentum from Previous Game
When asked about positives from the Coppin State game that could carry forward, Staley offered a candid, measured assessment.
“Positives? I mean, we put some points on the scoreboard. We’re okay. Like, we’re okay defensively. Weren’t great. I’m running out of positives right now, but I know we’re ready to play an SEC game on the road. They’re huge for us,” Staley told On3.
Raven Johnson’s Senior Transformation
Senior point guard Raven Johnson is posting career-best statistics across multiple categories, prompting questions about her evolution. Staley attributed the surge to Johnson’s experience, maturity, and changed team dynamics.
“Yeah, I mean, this isn’t really Ray’s first or second or third or fourth rodeo. She’s been around our program for five years, and she really understands. I think Ray’s always had takeover capabilities, it’s what she did in high school. It’s what she did for her AAU program. She just deferred a lot over the past few years because we had so much talent. And we still have a lot of talent, but I think Ray sees that the talent that we had previously was part of a core group of players that really understood when it was time to turn it up,” Staley explained to On3. “And I think sometimes when you’re having who we have, just a new nucleus of players who you have to play a whole lot for us, she’s the one. Like, she’s the one that’s supposed to step up and recognize whether she’s take a shot or whether she’s playmaking for other people. So I really am not surprised, she had big shots for us on some of our runs to the championship, and I think that she’s the one that can see it all. She’s felt it all. So she’s taken it upon herself to be more aggressive shooting the ball.”
In-Depth Analysis
The Psychology of Free Throw Shooting Slumps
Staley’s handling of South Carolina’s free throw struggles reveals sophisticated sports psychology understanding. Rather than over-coaching or creating pressure through excessive attention, she’s chosen environmental conditioning—incorporating free throws into every competitive practice scenario without making them a focal point of anxiety.
Her phrase “you just got to make them get out of it” acknowledges the mental component while maintaining player agency. The acknowledgment that players aren’t “intentionally missing” validates effort while framing the issue as situational rather than a fundamental skill deficiency. This approach prevents the psychological spiral where awareness of poor performance creates tension that perpetuates poor performance.
The closing caveat—”we don’t want to lose a basketball game depending on having to make free throws”—subtly raises stakes without creating panic, keeping the issue present in players’ minds without dominating their mental space.
Tournebize’s Value Proposition: Fearlessness Over Polish
Staley’s repeated emphasis on Tournebize being “unafraid” illuminates what the coaching staff prioritizes in player evaluation, particularly for mid-season additions. Technical proficiency can be taught; mental fortitude under pressure typically cannot.
The specific areas Staley identifies for improvement—high-low execution and perimeter shooting from the forward position—represent tactical refinements rather than foundational reconstruction. These are correctable through repetition and system familiarity, not years of skill development.
Staley’s acknowledgment that “we’re not gonna get the true test of what she is going to become in this short period of time” manages expectations while maintaining possibility. The phrase “move the needle for us at some point” suggests Staley views Tournebize as a meaningful contributor rather than emergency depth.
The cultural integration component deserves equal emphasis. Staley’s satisfaction that Tournebize is receiving what “her parents want for her” reveals the coach’s holistic recruiting philosophy—she’s accountable not just to the player but to the family unit for personal development and experience quality.
Strategic Depth Against Elite Post Play
The Oklahoma matchup provides a window into Staley’s tactical flexibility. Raegan Beers represents one of the nation’s most dominant interior presences, and Staley’s plan to deploy all five post players signals several strategic intentions:
- Defensive variability: Different body types, defensive styles, and energy levels prevent Beers from settling into rhythm
- Foul management: Spreading contact across five players prevents any single defender from accumulating fouls while maintaining aggressive defense
- Matchup experimentation: Testing different personnel combinations provides data for potential postseason matchups
The reference to Maryam Dauda’s SEC Tournament performance against Oklahoma specifically suggests Staley maintains detailed scouting reports and believes in matchup-specific deployment rather than rigid rotation hierarchies.
Respect for Conference Competition
Staley’s refusal to view Oklahoma’s three-game losing streak as opportunity for complacency demonstrates championship-level perspective. Her repeated phrase “we know this league” emphasizes the SEC’s competitive depth and the difficulty of road victories regardless of opponent circumstances.
The acknowledgment that the league has “weaknesses…which there aren’t very many of them” is both complimentary to conference competition and a reminder to her team that exploitable vulnerabilities are rare and must be capitalized upon when identified.
Honest Self-Assessment and Competitive Readiness
Staley’s struggle to identify positives from the Coppin State performance—”I’m running out of positives right now”—demonstrates a willingness to be candidly critical even after victories. This honesty prevents complacency while maintaining competitive standards.
The pivot to “I know we’re ready to play an SEC game on the road” reframes the conversation from performance evaluation to competitive mentality, emphasizing preparation and readiness over past results.
Johnson’s Evolution and Leadership Vacuum Theory
The analysis of Raven Johnson’s statistical surge provides insight into team dynamics and role evolution. Staley’s explanation that Johnson “deferred a lot over the past few years because we had so much talent” acknowledges the sometimes-hidden cost of roster depth—talented players sacrificing individual production for team success.
The phrase “new nucleus of players” subtly references the departure of championship-experienced veterans, creating both opportunity and responsibility for Johnson. Staley identifies Johnson as uniquely positioned due to her five-year tenure—she possesses institutional knowledge and championship experience that newer players lack.
The description of Johnson’s “takeover capabilities” from high school and AAU suggests her current performance represents regression to her natural playing style rather than sudden skill development. Previous self-limitation was role-specific, not ability-based.
Staley’s observation that Johnson “can see it all” and “felt it all” positions the point guard as the team’s experiential anchor—the player who understands championship pressure, knows when to elevate intensity, and recognizes game situations based on pattern recognition developed over multiple seasons.
The closing note that Johnson has “taken it upon herself to be more aggressive shooting the ball” indicates player-driven evolution rather than coach-mandated change, suggesting genuine leadership maturation rather than tactical adjustment.
Broader Implications
This media session reveals a team in transition—managing technical struggles (free throw shooting), integrating new talent mid-season (Tournebize), navigating challenging conference play (Oklahoma road game), and relying on veteran leadership (Johnson) to bridge experiential gaps created by roster turnover.
Staley’s communication throughout balances honesty with encouragement, sets high standards while managing expectations, and maintains competitive intensity while acknowledging process over immediate results.
All quotes and content attributed to On3
