Following South Carolina’s 81-51 victory over Auburn on Jan. 29, head coach Dawn Staley addressed multiple topics including player injuries, freshman development, and the strength of the SEC conference. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of her remarks.
INJURY UPDATES: MAKEER AND LATSON
When asked about freshman guard Agot Makeer’s status after she exited early:
“Uh, no. No, she’s in pain though, so that’s, you know, that’s a bummer. But we’ll get her back home and get her checked out,” Staley said.
Analysis: Staley’s brief response indicates uncertainty about the severity of Makeer’s injury. The lack of specifics suggests the coaching staff will conduct further medical evaluation once the team returns from Auburn. Her use of “bummer” reflects genuine concern while maintaining a measured tone.
Star freshman Ta’Niya Latson’s second-half absence raised additional questions. Staley revealed that Latson was also dealing with health issues:
“She’s not feeling well either. So, we just decided to hold her out and her teammates stepped up in a big way and filled the void of not having her, and (Agot).”
Analysis: Unlike Makeer’s apparent injury, Latson’s absence appears related to illness rather than physical trauma. Staley’s decision to rest both players in a game South Carolina controlled comfortably demonstrates strategic roster management, prioritizing player health over individual statistics in a decisive victory.
PRAISE FOR AUBURN’S PROGRAM BUILDING
Despite the lopsided final score, Staley offered substantive praise for Auburn coach Johnnie Vickers and his program’s foundation:
“Yeah, I mean, they play hard. Every second and every minute. You have to..that has to be an imprint of your program. No matter how talented you are, no matter who you have on any given night, once you get your team to work hard, and then when the talent comes, and I’m not saying they’re not talented, but when you’re first coming into our league and you really don’t have everybody that you want to have, you don’t have a full roster of players that can compete…they can compete. But sometimes you get out-talented in this league and you got to get talent to go with the hard work. Coach (Vickers) is a great coach. Like we played against him a couple years ago in the NCAA tournament. The score got away, but the preparation for team, you can see they run some great stuff, like so much so that we may have stolen a play or two just because they’re that good. And he executed against us and he was outmatched. He was out-talented, but you couldn’t tell. The only thing you could tell (was) by the score, but if you were at the game, you could see that they were holding their own. So, great start. Got a win against against a ranked team. So, I think he’s well ahead of the curve.”
Analysis: This extended response reveals Staley’s coaching philosophy and her respect for program-building fundamentals. She distinguishes between effort—which Auburn displayed consistently—and talent depth, which takes time to develop in a competitive conference. Her acknowledgment that South Carolina “may have stolen a play or two” demonstrates professional respect and recognition of Vickers’ tactical acumen. Staley’s reference to Auburn’s recent victory over a ranked opponent underscores her belief that Vickers is establishing the right cultural foundation despite the talent gap.
AYLA MCDOWELL’S RELIABILITY
Regarding freshman Ayla McDowell’s performance amid the depleted backcourt:
“Well, I mean, we know what we’re getting from Ayla. Ayla’s going to give 110 percent. She’s going to give multiple efforts, right? She’s going to knock down shots. For her, she just needs an opportunity. I know we have a backcourt that has a lot of bodies. Some of those bodies weren’t able to play the second half. She stepped in, and she gave us what she absolutely always gives us, its effort, knocking down shots. Like I told her, she’s probably one of the most mentally strong individuals in our locker room. She doesn’t know when she’s going to play, but when she does get out there, she gives the same effort, maximum effort, all the time. So, if we don’t have some of our, you know, some of our starters, it’s not a second…I’m not second guessing whether or not we put her in the basketball game because she’ll be ready.”
Analysis: Staley’s praise highlights McDowell’s most valuable trait for a reserve player: readiness regardless of playing time uncertainty. By calling her “one of the most mentally strong individuals in our locker room,” Staley emphasizes psychological resilience as equally important as physical skills. This consistent reliability makes McDowell a trusted option when rotation players are unavailable—a critical asset during the grueling SEC schedule.
AUBURN’S DEFENSIVE PRESSURE
When questioned about Auburn forcing 16 turnovers:
“They’re just speeding you up, you know, making you think that there are wide open passes and they’re not, and they’re intercepting them. They did that the entire night, and we’re not a team that really turns it over as much as we turned it over tonight in the way that we turned it over. So, we know that’s one of the things that they do extremely well that we had to prep for.”
Analysis: Staley acknowledges Auburn’s defensive effectiveness while contextualizing the turnovers as uncharacteristic for South Carolina. Her description of Auburn “speeding you up” and creating deceptive passing lanes demonstrates tactical awareness. This admission shows that even in a blowout victory, Staley identifies areas requiring improvement.
MADDY MCDANIEL’S GROWTH
Discussing sophomore guard Maddy McDaniel’s bench contribution:
“Maddy ran the show. Maddy managed the game, Maddy got players who have not played together in practice, played in the game together at the end of the game, all on one accord. And then every, you know, earlier in the game, she came in and I just though she elevated our play on both sides of the basketball. She is young, but she’s starting to mature and doing the things that we need point guards to do. Score, facilitate, play make, organize us. She did all of those things tonight and I’m proud of her.”
Analysis: Staley’s description positions McDaniel as developing into a complete floor general. The ability to organize players “who have not played together in practice” demonstrates basketball IQ and leadership—essential qualities as McDaniel’s role expands. Staley’s enumeration of point guard responsibilities (score, facilitate, playmaker, organize) serves as both evaluation criteria and developmental roadmap.
SEC CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
On the conference’s unprecedented strength with 10 ranked teams:
“Well I would say this: It’s been a build up to this, you know, and I have to probably go back to Commissioner (Mike) Slive who challenged us to get people in the stands. He challenged us to play a more competitive schedule. He also, you know, challenged each and every institution to get coaches and players and talent, because he went out and got us one of the best TV deals. And he didn’t want people watching the games in empty gyms. So it’s a product of his leadership and then Commissioner (Greg) Sankey who took over the reins, and it’s the same thing. We ask our administrators, we ask our commissioner, we ask Tiffany Daniels for a lot of things in the SEC office, and they provide those things for us. What we need to do is continue to put a product on the floor that is only the best. If you look at our conference, it’s not arguably, it is the best conference in the country. Night in and night out. So, and it probably won’t even be any single-loss teams in our conference. It’s just too tough. It’s just really too tough. If there is, they’re deserving to be a champion in our league, and has put you in a position to compete for national championships when you come out of the SEC.”
Analysis: Staley provides historical context for the SEC’s current dominance, crediting institutional leadership spanning multiple commissioners. Her emphasis on the conference’s competitive depth—predicting no single-loss teams will emerge—reflects both the challenge and the preparation value for postseason play. By stating “it’s not arguably, it is the best conference,” Staley makes an emphatic declaration backed by measurable results (10 ranked teams, Tennessee’s loss eliminating undefeated teams). This competitive gauntlet, she argues, creates battle-tested championship contenders.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Staley’s press conference balanced immediate concerns (player health) with broader perspectives on program building, player development, and conference evolution. Her ability to praise opponents authentically while maintaining competitive standards demonstrates the leadership that has made South Carolina a perennial powerhouse.
