Dawn Staley Breaks Down “The Real SC” Showdown and Her Excitement Over Kaeli Wynn’s Surprise Commitment
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley met with the media Thursday to preview the Gamecocks’ highly anticipated clash with No. 8 Southern Cal, the opening battle of what’s being called “The Real SC” series. She also touched on recruiting wins, staff additions, and lessons learned from South Carolina’s rivalry victory over Clemson.
On Facing Southern Cal
“It’s going to be a great game,” Staley said confidently. “They’re a little bit more battle-tested than we are, playing the schedule that they play. Hopefully, the teams we’ve played have prepared us for them — some of the offenses are very similar. So, we’ve got to play.”
The Gamecocks, undefeated so far, face their toughest challenge yet in a fast, physical Trojans squad led by dynamic guards Jazzy Davidson and Londynn Jones.
On Kaeli Wynn’s Commitment Surprise
When five-star guard Kaeli Wynn committed to South Carolina earlier this week, even Staley was caught off guard.
“We’ve been waiting on Kaeli for over two months,” she said with a laugh. “The night before she committed, she texted, ‘Can we talk tomorrow?’ and I swear, I don’t like those texts — they don’t feel good. I told my staff, ‘She’s going to Stanford, y’all.’ I felt the energy.”
But the next day, Wynn delivered the surprise of the week. “For real, I was really surprised,” Staley added. “She went through [creative media producer] Jhalen Wingate to announce it — I don’t even know how she got his number! She surprised me on that one.”
On Wynn’s Basketball Pedigree
Wynn, a five-star standout from Mater Dei (CA) and daughter of former coach Jodi Wynn, brings basketball smarts and versatility to the Gamecocks.
“I didn’t know her mom personally, but people on our staff did,” Staley said. “She’s a great coach. I’m sure she’ll add some ideas to what we do — she’s got a really good 1-3-1 zone that we’ll pick her brain on.”
On Kelsi Andrews
Staley also praised another elite 2026 signee, Kelsi Andrews, calling her a “big-skill big.”
“She can shoot it, she’s efficient in the paint, and she’s got a great basketball mind,” Staley said. “She comes from a strong AAU program — the same one as Raven [Johnson] and Ta’Niya [Latson]. So, we know she’s used to playing great competition and winning.”
On Hiring Assistant Coach Wendale Farrow
Staley also reflected on the hiring of assistant coach Wendale Farrow, who previously coached at USC (Southern Cal).
“I talked to Wendale a few times on the road,” she explained. “You never know when you’ll need an assistant coach. He’s a California guy, highly recommended. We basically put all our eggs in one basket — this was our guy.”
After some convincing, Staley said, “Once he left Columbia, he told me, ‘Give me the weekend.’ Then he called on Sunday. I told him, ‘If you want to be a head coach, the last two people in your seat are head coaches now — and they’re men. Hopefully, that’s a prelude to your own program.’”
Lessons from the Clemson Game
Despite the dominant 65–37 win, Staley admitted South Carolina struggled early against Clemson’s defense.
“They took away transition,” she said. “We weren’t organized — I’ll own that. We kind of freelanced too much, which led to bad shots. Toward the end of the third and into the fourth, we got into things we were familiar with and started getting expected shots.”
She praised her team’s defensive cohesion down the stretch, saying, “We found a unit that really found its groove the way we want to play on both sides of the ball.”
On Scouting Southern Cal’s Stars
Staley had high praise — and a healthy respect — for USC’s backcourt.
“Jazzy Davidson and Londynn Jones are great players,” she said. “They can score in a lot of ways, and they’re quick. It won’t be just one person guarding them. We need layers in our defense so they don’t get easy looks. We’ve got to make them work for every catch and every shot.”
Final Thoughts
As South Carolina prepares for its biggest test yet, Staley remains confident but grounded. With her team’s chemistry growing and new stars like Tessa Johnson and Joyce Edwards stepping up, the Gamecocks look ready to prove once again why they’re the nation’s No. 2 team.
Tipoff against Southern Cal is set for Thursday, Nov. 15, at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.
