Gamecocks happy but humble heading into Missouri
They South Carolina Gamecocks are trying to find the right balance between celebrating their accomplishments thus far while keeping their eyes on the ultimate prize.
USC was voted the top team in the nation in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. Head coach Dawn Staley spoke to the media ahead of the Gamecocks’ road game against Missouri and said that she wanted her team to enjoy the moment and cherish, but understand there’s still work to be done.
Since the release of the latest rankings, the Gamecocks have held a couple of practices and Staley said it was business as usual and her team looked focused and grounded.
That type of poise may be shocking considering the amount of youth on the team, but this week alone saw a number of upsets to majority of the teams in the top ten.
Tyasha Harris and Zia Cooke said as a team they’ve seen how rankings can change in a blink of an eye and it helps them to remain humble and locked in.
The Gamecocks head to Columbia, Miss. to take on a team that has grown to be a rival in the Missouri Tigers.
The Tigers are 4-13 this season and trail the series 6-3.
The game could be a milestone for a few Gamecocks as Harris needs two assists to become just the second Gamecock all-time to record 600 assists and 1,000 points in her career. Mikiah Herbert Harrigan needs 25 points to reach 1,000. She will become just the sixth Gamecock to record 1,000 points and 100 blocks in her career.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on SEC Network.
See Staley's full press conference below: