South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley met with reporters Tuesday to preview the Gamecocks’ upcoming matchup against Winthrop, scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Wednesday. Here’s a full breakdown of her comments.
How have preparations gone so far this week?
“Good. Got back at it yesterday and today. Two days of prep should be pretty good.”
After reviewing the film, what stood out — both good and bad — from the win over Southern Cal?
“I liked our fight. I liked the fact that we played for 40 minutes — good, bad or indifferent. There were no lulls. I liked the fact that we rebounded the basketball; I liked that we were able to spread it around a little bit. I liked what Madina (Okot) brought to the table — her ability to execute the game, rebound the basketball. And our next step is just to consistently score for us.
“And then, the turnovers are, you know, just rushed — not even really under a whole lot of pressure, just trying to play too fast. But, overall, it was a good team that we beat. We move on to the next one.”
Joyce Edwards earned SEC Player of the Week. What do you make of her strong start?
“I mean, it’s great. Joyce is finding her footing, and she’s very comfortable with what she’s doing out there on both sides of the ball. Just like her activity on both sides of the ball, I like her competitiveness and her will to win. It’s on display every time we step on the floor.”
Defensively, the team looked much improved against Southern Cal. What changed after the first two games?
“We’re gaining chemistry. Like, we’re trusting each other. We created layers to our defense. It wasn’t like you could just drive by and not see anybody. So, less of that, more of connectivity, more of our bigs being active in there. It’s just getting better, more game experiences under us. And we’ll definitely continue to get better.”
When facing teams you’re expected to beat, what challenges do you give the players? What do you want to see in these types of games?
“We look for habits. Just continuing our defensive habits, just really trying to create the chemistry. Like, there are some opportunities where there are hockey assists, there are just awareness of where people are on the floor and sharing the basketball. We got a few players who can score the basketball — like, really score the basketball — and they’re in that mode. We don’t want them gun shy, but we certainly want us to reach a place where we’re taking the best shot on the floor.
“So, I think we got players who can bet on themselves. Joyce is that, TaNiya (Latson)‘s that, Tessa (Johnson)‘s that, Raven (Johnson)‘s finding her footing, as well. We probably need Madina to get in the rim of their mindsets. But, also, we got to make sure we’re setting her up for success on the offensive end. So, just taking that next step.”
Adhel Tac is healthy, correct?
“Yes. I mean, here’s the thing. Usually, (Adhel) would get an opportunity to get out there. Madina was doing such a great job. Like, if it was (Adhel) that was doing that, Madina’s minutes would probably have shrunk. But she was doing such a great job with the game plan that we felt like we just needed to continue with it.”
Assessment of Tessa Johnson taking on more point guard responsibilities:
“Tessa’s our rock, really. She is the person that, it’s not pressing, but she’s confident in her ability to go get a bucket when she wants to go get a bucket. She’s just taking what the defense gives her. She’s working on her passing. I think you’re seeing a well-rounded basketball player, a very mature basketball player, that is very confident in her skill set — whether she’s shooting the ball or passing it. Her defense has been really impressive.”
“I mean, here’s the thing. The people coming off the bench are playing better. In the USC game, it’s all about units. Like, who’s playing well together? I thought our starters were playing well together, and I didn’t want to rock the boat because, in that type of game, the momentum shifts so quickly that you want to make sure that it’s always in striking distance of you being able to pull away or not get too far down to where it creates the momentum for them. But, slowly, we’re getting there.”
