How Dawn Staley reinvented South Carolina without losing its edge
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Wacky timing forced Dawn Staley to miss the trophy presentation. The South Carolina coach, a main character in this women’s college basketball surge, was occupied with live television interviews.
So the players had to accept the Sacramento 4 Regional championship prize without their leader. Good thing they know the routine. For the sixth straight NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks reached the Final Four , with a 78-52 victory over TCU on Monday night.
There’s an urge to consider it a ho-hum accomplishment, a procedural step for a program that has won three national titles and spent the past dozen seasons as a top-tier contender. But let’s not get all snooty about South Carolina taking another Elite Eight. It’s a familiar result, but these are not the same old Gamecocks.
Their general style of play hasn’t changed, but they have a little different flavor. In previous seasons, abundance had defined them. Too much depth.
Too much experience. Too much size and athleticism and physicality. They dictated everything to opponents.
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