Dawn Staley Breaks Down South Carolina’s Crushing Loss to UConn
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Gamecocks suffered a humbling 87-58 defeat at the hands of UConn, snapping their 71-game home winning streak and leaving head coach Dawn Staley with plenty to unpack. Addressing the media postgame, Staley didn’t mince words about the blowout loss, pointing out key areas where her team struggled and how they plan to bounce back.
On What Went Wrong Against UConn
“Transition, imbalance, bad shots—all of that feeds into UConn’s game,” Staley admitted. “They don’t give you a chance to recover. By the time you realize what’s happening, the ball’s already going up and through the net.”
On Recovering from the Loss
South Carolina isn’t about to hit the panic button, but Staley made it clear that regaining focus is the priority.
“You just get back to your habits,” she said. “We’re not going to wholesale change what we do. A loss like this isn’t about basketball—it’s about toughness. If something else is going on beyond the game itself, we have to figure that out.”
On How Games Like This Impact Women’s Basketball
“You have to have them,” Staley said of high-profile matchups like South Carolina vs. UConn. “They push the game forward, though tonight’s score might set it back a little.”
Despite the loss, Staley took a moment to acknowledge the support from Gamecock Nation:
“Our FAMs packed the house and did their part, but we gave them an embarrassing performance. We’ve had our streaks snapped this year, but winning 71 straight at home was one hell of a ride. Now we have a chance to start a new streak Thursday.”
On South Carolina’s Defensive Woes
South Carolina’s defense had no answer for UConn’s outside shooting.
“They hit 13 threes. That’s damaging—physically and psychologically,” Staley admitted. “When a shooter makes a few, you start sticking closer, which opens up the driving lanes. They made us second-guess everything, and they had their way with us.”
The Gamecocks were also outworked on the boards. “It’s tough when a team shoots like that and still grabs offensive rebounds. Major implosion on our part.”
On South Carolina’s Offensive Struggles
Staley didn’t sugarcoat her assessment of the Gamecocks’ offense.
“Since we’re on a college campus, I’ll grade it an ‘F.’”
She emphasized that one loss won’t define the season. “The season is long. Beating UConn could have had a negative effect on our next game, just as losing can wake us up. Hopefully, it’s the latter.”
On Keeping the Locker Room Focused
Staley believes her players are already holding themselves accountable.
“They feel just as low as I do—as low as our coaching staff does,” she said. “We let them speak, and they said all the right things. No sugarcoating. We have to get better, and we will.”
On UConn’s Sarah Strong
Staley praised Sarah Strong, who made a major impact against South Carolina.
“She’s a difference-maker. We wanted her. She’s smart, she can pass, shoot, rebound, and read the game at an elite level. You can’t stop a player like that because she always finds ways to impact the game.”
On Regaining South Carolina’s Physical Edge
With just four regular-season games left before the SEC Tournament, Staley is focused on returning to the fundamentals.
“We need to remind ourselves who we are,” she said. “We’ve played a grueling schedule, and I think we’re fatigued—mentally and physically. But now is the perfect time to regroup and get it back.”
What’s Next for the Gamecocks?
South Carolina looks to bounce back Thursday against Arkansas at Colonial Life Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET, with coverage on SEC Network and streaming via the ESPN app.
Will this loss serve as a wake-up call for Staley’s squad? Gamecock Nation will find out soon enough.
