Following Friday’s practice, Dawn Staley met with the media to offer insight ahead of South Carolina’s Sunday matchup against Penn State, touching on player availability, roster management, recruiting traditions, and player development.
Health Update
When asked about the team’s overall health, Staley offered a familiar response.
“Uh, for the most part.”
Pressed further on whether anyone would miss Sunday’s game, Staley leaned into her trademark candor.
“Tomorrow? Yeah, everybody’s gonna miss the game tomorrow. (Sunday.) I don’t know. It’s we’ll see. Every day is an adventure. But I’ll tell you this, whoever we have, we’re gonna play to the best of our ability.”
What Stands Out About Penn State
Staley broke down what she sees on film from the Nittany Lions, starting with their interior presence.
“They’ve got a big (Gracie Merkle) that creates a lot of space, very efficient in the paint,” she said. She also highlighted Penn State’s guard play and shooting depth.
“They’ve got a dynamic point guard who can really fill up a stat sheet and put some points on the scoreboard. They’ve got everybody else that can actually space the floor, shoe some threes. Not balance when it comes to their top two, but balance as far as scoring, where everybody’s a scoring threat. They just play to their strength, which is a great quality.”
Roster Size and NIL Reality
Staley was asked whether a season impacted by injuries and illness ever makes her consider carrying a full 15-player roster.
“15?” she said, shaking her head. “12, 13 at the most. And if it’s 13, then somebody’s gonna have to go ask our AD for a little bit more money, you know, to fill that roster.”
She added that roster size is directly tied to NIL resources.
“For right now, I really think for this particular year, it’s probably what we have as far as rev share and NIL. So we’ve got to go pan-handle a little bit for some more to increase our roster.”
The ‘Little Birdie’ Tradition
When asked about the origins of her now-famous “little birdie flew into the nest” recruiting phrase, Staley admitted she couldn’t quite remember.
“Ooh, that’s your job. I don’t remember. I need you to tell me.”
After being reminded the phrase dates back to 2020, Staley credited Raven Johnson.
“Raven (Johnson) was Big Birdie. Raven proclaimed herself as Big Birdie. And that might have been it. 2020.”
Staley clarified the phrase is used when a commitment is secured—not for speculation.
“No, it’s when we’ve got a commitment. We haven’t said it enough. We haven’t said it enough this year.”
Staley’s Penn State Connection
Staley reflected on her own recruitment, noting Penn State was once in the mix before she chose Virginia.
“The dorms didn’t compare to the dorms at Virginia.”
Asked whether she ever wonders how her career might have changed had she gone to Penn State, Staley was unequivocal.
“No. I think I made the right choice for where I was in my life and it worked out,” she said. “Even when I was at Virginia, I didn’t think I made the wrong choice. Even through the good, the bad…”
She acknowledged that doubt is natural for young players but said she never experienced regret.
“I know every freshman or transfer, at some point during their stop, really regrets. And that’s part of it… I never regret it.”
Staley also noted she maintained strong relationships from that recruitment, particularly with Dan Durkin.
“So I didn’t lose a friend in him.”
Agot Makeer’s Progress
Freshman Agot Makeer returned to practice after missing time in concussion protocol, and Staley said her progress has been encouraging.
“Better. Better. Better, better,” Staley said. “With Agot, you just have to be careful. We don’t want a second (concussion), so we’re very, very careful about how we’re going to use her.”
While Makeer is practicing, Staley emphasized caution.
“So it’s good to have her in practice doing a little bit of things, but not all things.”
Developing the Bench
Staley also spoke about the importance of continuing to bring along players like Ayla McDowell and the rest of the bench as the season progresses.
“It’s really important. Really important to get them minutes, just experience, just familiarity,” she said.
While practice helps, Staley stressed that nothing replaces real-game reps.
“There’s nothing compared to game experience. Nothing compared to playing in Colonial Life Arena, playing on the road, and hearing everything that comes with that.”
She added that South Carolina plans to be more intentional about spreading opportunities.
“We’re gonna be a lot more intentional about getting them in the game, so they can help us down the stretch.”
