South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley offered extensive insight into her team’s upcoming showdown with Tennessee, player progression, and even weighed in on Sunday’s Super Bowl during her latest media availability.
With the SEC’s top two teams set to collide, Staley provided a detailed scouting report after reviewing Tennessee’s recent victory over Georgia in the early morning hours.
Decoding Tennessee’s Pressure Defense
Staley identified ball security and rebounding as non-negotiables against Tennessee’s aggressive defensive scheme, while noting Georgia’s relative success in limiting turnovers to just 11 possessions.
“Yeah, I did, I took a look at it. I thought it was a really good game, really good game,” Staley said. “I thought Georgia did a good job not turning the ball over as much. I think only 11 turnovers for them. Handled the press with just some bravado.”
However, she anticipates Tennessee will escalate their trademark pressure against South Carolina.
“But I’m thinking they’ll probably be coming in with a little bit more. Pressing us a little bit more, and playing just Tennessee basketball,” Staley added. “You know what they’re gonna bring to the table. So, you know, for us, we just have to make sure that we’re not turning the basketball over, that we’re rebounding the basketball and then we’re making them pay, you know, by breaking their press.”
Preparing for Tennessee’s Multifaceted Attack
When asked about the tactical approach to neutralizing Tennessee’s full-court pressure, Staley drew a football analogy, emphasizing the cerebral demands placed on ball-handlers.
“It’s a read, it’s like you’re a quarterback. You got to see what the free safety’s doing. You got to see where they are on the floor, and you have to look beyond the linemen, because you know they’re coming,” Staley explained. “So it’s just that. It’s about decision making, it’s about knowing who you’re seeing and how to get the ball to where it needs to go.”
She distinguished Tennessee’s press from other opponents, noting its unpredictability compared to Texas’s more conventional trapping scheme.
“I don’t think they resist as much, you know, initially, because their stuff is coming after you catch the ball,” Staley said. “Tennessee wants you to catch it, and then they keep you off-balance as to whether they’re gonna run and jump, or double you. So it keeps you off-balance.”
Staley also praised Tennessee freshman guard Mia Pauldo, who has emerged as a complete performer despite her size disadvantage.
“Oh, just good, just the evolution of her. She’s scoring the ball. She is managing their team. She’s getting people involved, she’s playmaking,” Staley observed. “She’s defending, like, she actually is being just impactful on both sides of the basketball, very comfortable in her skin.”
Documentary Captures Historic Championship Journey
Staley addressed the release of a documentary chronicling South Carolina’s national championship season, expressing satisfaction with the project’s scope despite not yet viewing the final cut.
“I haven’t seen the final product. I know it was a lot of interviewing on my part. It’s good, though. I think it’s pretty good,” she said. “I mean, it was a season that captured what was taking place without knowing it was gonna end that way.”
Beyond celebrating South Carolina’s achievement, Staley sees the film as essential documentation of women’s basketball’s broader evolution.
“Looking forward to seeing it, and just the entire history of our game,” she said. “You know, in a way that a lot of people are women’s basketball crazed, so they’ll get more of, just footage and a deeper understanding of how we got here. Not just women’s basketball at South Carolina, how we got here as a sport.”
Freshman Development Validates Patience
Staley highlighted the maturation of freshman Ayla McDowell, whose recent starting role has vindicated her persistent work ethic and self-belief.
“Well, it’s been great. Like, you want a freshman to be as coachable as she is, and as patient as she is,” Staley said. “And you have to actually believe in yourself. Like, you do have to believe in yourself, although you’re probably not getting the minutes that you probably think you deserve, or that you play hard enough in practice, that you deserve, and to keep believing in self and to keep performing day in and day out in practice, because you never know when your number’s gonna be called.”
Regarding fellow freshman Ali Tournebize’s foul trouble, Staley maintained a constructive perspective, praising her ability to remain effective despite carrying four fouls against Mississippi State.
“I mean, I think probably the game is a little bit quicker here, that’s one. Two, I actually don’t mind because that means she’s fighting back, like I don’t mind,” Staley said. “What I did like was her ability to play with four fouls.”
She also noted forward Madina Okot’s resurgence at the free-throw line—shooting over 72 percent recently—as evidence of perseverance paying dividends.
“She doesn’t say, and she doesn’t give any facial expressions as to say either. I think you just have to allow players to work through some things,” Staley said. “You just have to fight your way through it, and that’s what Madina’s doing, is fighting her way through it.”
Super Bowl Allegiance Declared
Staley confirmed her roster is healthy—”Everybody’s full go for right now”—before pivoting to celebrate former Gamecocks competing in Sunday’s Super Bowl. With two South Carolina alumni on the Seattle Seahawks roster, including safety Nick Emmanwori, Staley made her championship prediction clear.
“When you have somebody in there that represents, it means something, and it means that we produce those high-caliber players,” she said. “I got to go with the Hawks. I got an association with the Hawks, and Nick (Emmanwori). So bring it on home, Nick.”
When asked which former player’s jersey she’ll wear Sunday, Staley didn’t hesitate: “Ray Ray’s, man! Nick’s! Gotta wear Nick’s jersey.”
With Tennessee looming and a fully available roster, South Carolina appears positioned for one of the season’s most consequential matchups—armed with tactical preparation, emerging youth, and the confidence of a program accustomed to championship moments.
