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Dawn Staley Signed a South Carolina Fan's Baby After Gamecocks Clinched Final Four

Ryan Phillips

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley signs a baby's pants after securing a spot in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley signs a baby's pants after securing a spot in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament. / Via NCAA March Madness on
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Dawn Staley has her South Carolina squad back in the Final Four and one young fan has quite the souvenir to celebrate.

The defending national champion Gamecocks beat Duke 54–50 on Sunday in the Elite Eight to secure a fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four. After the game, Staley signed autographs for fans, including one on the bottom of a baby's pants.

Why wouldn't you want a coach signing your baby's clothing? I see nothing wrong here.

The Gamecocks trailed the Blue Devils 42–38 heading into the fourth quarter but outscored them 16–8 to secure a victory and advance. South Carolina improved to 34–3 on the season.

Staley's team entered the tournament as the No. 2 ranked team in the country behind UCLA. The Bruins also advanced on Sunday with a 72–65 win over LSU.

Last season the Gamecocks went 38–0 and defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the national championship game.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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