Dawn Staley Calls Out South Carolina's Toughness Amid Blowout Loss vs UConn
The South Carolina Gamecocks just suffered their second defeat in three games, as they were throttled by the No. 7 ranked UConn Huskies on February 16 by a score of 87-58.
One could say that the defending NCAA champions losing two games over the past week isn't all that concerning, given they came against top-10 teams in the country. However, given the nature of Sunday's blowout combined with the fact that the Gamecocks had won 71 consecutive home games before this defeat, it's safe to say that there's some concern among South Carolina's fanbase right now.
Dawn Staley was interviewed by ESPN's Holly Rowe after a third quarter where Huskies star guard Azzi Fudd torched the Gamecocks for 18 points. And Staley didn't mince words about what she's seeing from her squad.
"We just have to get tougher," Staley said when asked what she wants to see from her team in the fourth quarter. "I think all of our habits are showing up at the wrong time, and you can't do that against a team like UConn.
"They got it going on. They're shooting the ball extremely well, they're defending us, we're taking bad shots and they're making us pay for it. All the above doesn't equal to getting a win," Staley continued.
When asked what her message to her team will be before the fourth quarter, Staley said, "Just toughness. We've got to get back to playing good basketball, try to create some good habits and take it back into the SEC and see if we can finish strong."
Dawn Staley on ESPN after the third quarter of South Carolina’s blowout loss to UConn
— Grant Young (@GrvntYoung) February 16, 2025
“All of our habits are showing up at the wrong time” pic.twitter.com/BDeqXr9ZI2
Staley has never been afraid to speak her mind regarding her team's performances. And we expect the Gamecocks come back stronger than ever after this blowout loss.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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