As the regular season winds down, knows exactly what’s in front of her team — and so do her players.
They’ve seen the standings. They understand what’s at stake. But when it comes to title math and SEC scenarios, Staley is keeping the message simple.
“Not the scenarios, but we control our own destiny,” she said. “I think we’ve put ourselves in a situation, we got a little luck with some other games that favored us, and I mean, we’re here. A regular-season SEC championship will be tremendous for our team.”
Rather than overloading her players with hypotheticals, Staley’s focus is on the opportunity directly ahead. Win, and everything else takes care of itself.
Respecting the SEC Grind
With postseason positioning looming, Staley was asked whether there’s a way to preserve the value of the SEC Tournament while acknowledging that losing within such a loaded conference isn’t the same as dropping a game outside it.
Her answer reflected both realism and pride in the league.
“Well, one, we don’t know who’ll be penalized yet for the SEC tournament. Two, your resume can upgrade from the tournament as well,” she explained. “So, you can look at it a lot of different ways. I’m hoping it doesn’t hurt any of us. I think our body of work as a conference speaks for itself, and we hope it will be, at the end of the day, we hope that all the teams and what we’ve been through in our conference will get the seed that we deserve.”
It’s a reminder that in this conference, survival alone strengthens a résumé.
A Team That’s Learning to Finish
This year’s group has faced its own unique challenges. After a massive win over LSU, Staley sensed something shift emotionally within her team.
“I mean, I don’t have a feel, but I do have a feel,” she said. “I always act on what I feel, and I feel like we’ve exhaled, because, you know, the LSU game was a big game for us as far as just another win, another tie-breaking win, right?”
But she quickly pivoted to what comes next — a difficult road test at Alabama, a place where her teams have historically struggled.
“You’ve done a pretty good job with, you know, winning 11 games in our league this far, and you’ve got to finish it. You’ve got to finish it, because there’s nothing more gratifying than winning… and we control our own destiny.”
The message is clear: satisfaction is earned at the finish line.
Embracing Normalcy Before the Storm
After two days off — a rare occurrence — Staley admitted the rhythm felt slightly off, though perhaps necessary.
“I mean, I do like the mindset,” she said. “We had two days off, so that was kind of weird… I do think some of the people really needed it. I don’t know if we needed it as a whole, just to stay in… rhythm.”
Still, practice returned to its usual Tuesday-Wednesday cadence. Normalcy, she believes, restores sharpness.
That same appreciation for balance showed when discussing a recent Saturday prime-time slot. Staley enjoyed the change of pace — especially the Sunday off.
“I really enjoyed the Sunday (off). Like, I really enjoy having a Sunday off,” she said, referencing past SEC coaches who advocated for the schedule shift. But strategically, she still prefers the Thursday-Sunday rhythm for preparation.
Injury Updates and Future Decisions
There was clarity on several roster questions.
On Adhel Tac: “Yeah, lower leg injury. Day-to-day.”
On Maddy McDaniel’s availability: “Yeah, she practiced, so she’s good.”
As for Madina Okot’s long-term future, Staley acknowledged the uncertainty of pursuing another year of eligibility.
“No, no response,” she said. “But you really won’t get one until she’s exhausted all of her eligibility and then by then…it’s too late. But we’re going to continue to try to do that. If not, we’ll see her in the WNBA.”
Who Takes the Last Shot?
Years ago, Staley famously trusted Tiffany Mitchell in late-game moments. On this team, the approach is more collaborative — starting with her point guard.
“I would put the ball in Raven (Johnson’s) hands, to be the facilitator, because she’s really good,” Staley said. “She’s really good at finding pretty much who should have it… I think she’s got the confidence enough to take the shot when she needs to take the shot.”
The beauty of this roster? Options.
“It could be Joyce (Edwards), it could be Madina, it could be (Ta’Niya Latson), it could be Tessa (Johnson)… she’s got a lot of options on the floor that she could choose from.”
Defensive Discipline and Rebounding Reality
Fresh off holding LSU to just 17% from three, Staley emphasized that Alabama presents a different perimeter challenge.
“They’re very different,” she said. “Alabama is a team that wants to get threes up… for us, they average nine. So we certainly have to limit the amount of threes that they take and they make.”
Rebounding remains a daily emphasis.
“We do a rebounding drill every day,” Staley explained, detailing situational work from free throws to late-game scenarios. She pointed to LSU’s late push — fueled by 50-50 balls and an offensive rebound — as proof that details matter.
“And luckily for… the great eyesight of one of the officials, they saw Flau’jae (Johnson’s) foot on the line.”
Even in victory, the margins were razor-thin.
March Mentality
Saturday’s hostile environment provided what Staley considers a March preview — physical fatigue, mental fatigue, emotional swings.
“We knew it was going to be a hostile environment,” she said. “It was about getting our players to make players in the moment that they need to make players.”
While she wasn’t pleased with the off-ball defense — “Just… unaware” — she hopes the film session sharpens habits moving forward.
Growth in Real Time
Madina Okot’s dominant outing signaled something bigger than a stat line.
“I think she’s back… she’s locked in,” Staley said. “She’s rebounding incredibly well… I think she’s in a really good place that’s very good for us.”
And Tessa Johnson’s evolution reflects the natural maturity of a junior.
“She’s a junior,” Staley said. “Like juniors, they just have a way of understanding what’s expected… Then in your junior year, you’re just like, exhaling. Like, you know exactly where you can impact the game.”
For Staley, that calm confidence is priceless.
As the SEC race tightens and March looms, her team stands in control of its fate. No complicated math. No scoreboard watching.
Just one directive:
Finish.
source: On3
