South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley met with reporters Wednesday as the Gamecocks prepared for their upcoming road test against Louisville, scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Thursday. Below is a breakdown of everything Staley discussed.
Preparation for Another Road Trip
Staley said the team has been able to get in valuable practice time before traveling again.
“We got two days in, which was good. Really good to get some practice in.”
Takeaways from the Loss to Texas
Reflecting on the recent matchup with Texas, Staley noted several areas that stood out.
“I mean, free throws, free-throw box out, inability to take away someone’s strength. I thought we did a good job. Their top three scorers were inefficient, so we did our job with that. They just had key buckets at crucial times in the game.”
She added that foul trouble made things even more challenging.
“Then, the fouling really put us back on our heels. But it’s not anything for us to be like, ‘The sky’s falling,’ because it’s a one-possession game. And our team is still trying to find each other. Since this isn’t a team that we’ve had for years, our defense has got to get better. Just a defensive breakdown.”
Staley emphasized that these issues are fixable.
“So, all stuff that you could point to and just say, ‘Hey, you can’t really be upset because you’re going to point to the things.’ It wasn’t effort; it was more execution of what we need to be executed — which, for us, is a norm, but it’s not a norm for this team because we’re finding our identity.”
Learning Curve for South Carolina’s Young Bench
With a roster full of inexperienced reserves, Staley believes the challenges of top-25 matchups are forcing growth.
“Probably that it’s hard, that it looks a lot easier than it really is. And then, for us, we got to grow, got to develop our bench. I mean, we can’t go a whole season playing six or seven (players); we got to be able to get to eight or nine comfortably. And the only way that you’re going to do that is put them out there. Whether they… something down their leg or not, they got to grow. And, obviously, I do think the Players Era tournament helped us grow in that area.”
Agot Makeer’s Status
Staley confirmed that sophomore forward Agot Makeer was not at practice Wednesday.
“No, not at practice today. You could get the follow up from Diana (Koval).”
A team spokesperson later clarified that Makeer is currently in concussion protocol.
On Assistant Coach Jolette Law’s Harlem Globetrotter Past
With the Globetrotters visiting Columbia this week, Staley was asked about Law’s time with the iconic team.
“Not much. Obviously, I see pictures and posters, and I hear stories about it. But I didn’t get a chance to go see her play. I got a former player that’s on the Globetrotters: Fatima (Lister). It’s a great profession. You see the world; you make people smile, play the game that you love. So, for those obvious reasons, I see why Jolette was a Globetrotter.”
Scouting Louisville
Staley praised Louisville’s competitiveness and the challenges they present on both ends of the floor.
“Just tough. I mean, they’re good at home, as well. Like to play a lot of different defenses. So, point guard play is going to be really important. They got a couple of bigs that can shoot from the outside. So, they’re going to challenge us to not fall asleep in transition and not fall asleep in our half-court defense.”
She stressed that the Gamecocks must be sharp in every phase of the game.
“But it’s going to be a game in which, if we want to win, we have to display all the things that are necessary — the intangibles, the tangibles. And we got to execute from a defensive standpoint.”
