Dawn Staley Sets the Record Straight on South Carolina McDonald's All-American Gripes
Kentucky women's basketball head coach Kenny Brooks made waves with a comment he made regarding the South Carolina Gamecocks' roster after their game against each other on March 2.
"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... and that really elevated them," Brooks said, per an X post from @airportteamm.
It didn't take Staley long to seemingly address this remark from her peer, as she made an X post on March 3 where she's singing the iconic McDonald's jingle, "Ba-da-ba-ba-baaa, I'm lovin' it!” The caption of her post 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
Staley then spoke with the media on March 5, and got honest about the discourse regarding the abundance of McDonald's All-Americans she has rostered (10, to be exact, with more on the way).
"I don't know. Sometimes I have fun with it," Staley said of the discourse, per an X post from Matt Dowell. "Sometimes it's just, you know, I would imagine, that no one's turning down McDonald's All-Americans. I would imagine. We're just fortunate.
"Just because you got a McDonald's All-American doesn't mean you got a great player," she continued. "For us, we've attracted them because of the style of play, the style of discipline, the winning tradition, the growth, the producing pros. That's what attracts McDonald's All-Americans to us. And not even just that, we create meaningful relationships with the household, not just the recruit. The entire household.
"If the household's happy, and we've done our job, there's a lot of Happy Meals to go around," Staley concluded with a laugh.
Dawn Staley was asked about the McDonald's All-American discourse this season:
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) March 5, 2025
"Idk. Sometimes I have fun with it. I would imagine that no one's turning down McDAAs. We're just fortunate. And, just so you know, just because you got a McDAA doesn't mean you got a great player." pic.twitter.com/65b7j7HFQX
Staley is right to not be apologizing for getting so many of the country's best recruits.
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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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