Dawn Staley Seemingly Responds to South Carolina McDonald's All-American Coach Gripes

Several opponents of the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team have spoken out about the plethora of McDonald's All-Americans (10, to be exact) that Dawn Staley has on her roster during this 2024-25 NCAA season.

On January 24, LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey said, "I don't think I've ever coached against a team with 10 McDonald's All-Americans on the roster," after her team was beaten by Staley's Gamecocks squad by a score of 66-56.

While this didn't necessarily come off as a complaint, what Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks said when speaking to the media following his team’s 78-66 loss to South Carolina on March 2 did, in the eyes of many fans.

"They were bringing in McDonald’s All-Americans for McDonald’s All-Americans, just seeing which one was going to play better. They were fresh. Going down the stretch, I think it was four minutes to go, it was, maybe, a one-possession game, and that really elevated them," Brooks said, per an X post from @airportteamm.

Not kenny complaining about our roster🙄 pic.twitter.com/rwqnFT6mHr
— . (@airportteamm) March 3, 2025

On Monday morning, Dawn Staley posted an X video where she's singing the iconic McDonald's jingle, "Ba-da-ba-ba-baaa, I'm lovin' it!” And her caption was, "Hey Mickie you so fine you so fine you blow my mind….hey mickie!"

Hey Mickie you so fine you so fine you blow my mind….hey mickie! pic.twitter.com/DjmstPBHJb
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) March 3, 2025

While it can't be said for certain what Staley's video is referring to, most fans seem convinced that it's a response to what Brooks said about her roster one day before.

What's for sure is that Staley landed yet another McDonald's All-American recruit named Agot Makeer (the No. 4 women's basketball recruit in the ESPN class of 2025) on March 1.

Coach complaints aside, there seems little doubt that even more McDonald's All-Americans will be coming to South Carolina shortly.

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