Dawn Staley picks up $50,000 bonus for Elite Eight appearance
The top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks advanced in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Friday. It wasn’t without some tense moments, as the Indiana Hoosiers pushed the Gamecocks until the final minute of the game. As they march onward to the Elite Eight, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley continues to pile up the bonus money.
Since they advanced to the Elite Eight, Staley added a $50,000 bonus. She’s now reeled in $240,000 in bonuses this season, which isn’t surprising since South Carolina continues to remain undefeated. Their perfect season remains intact and they’re trying to be the first undefeated women’s basketball team since 2015-2016 (UConn).
South Carolina won, 79-75, but they certainly had to hit some clutch buckets in the last minute of the game. Kamilla Cardoso stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Raven Johnson hit a big-time three with 52 seconds left to push the Gamecock lead to 77-72. She also pumped in 14 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
Following the game, Staley was very impressed with Cardoso’s performance against the Hoosiers. “Dominant. Like I haven’t seen her play like that in a long time meaning she imposed her will, her strength, she used her body. She used her determination to put us on her back & carry us over the finish line,” Staley said in the postgame press conference.
Staley has built South Carolina women’s basketball into one of the nation’s most dominant programs over the years, leading them to five Final Fours in the last eight NCAA Tournaments (2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023). During her 15 seasons there, she’s already brought in two national championships (2017 and 2022) and they’re still aiming for their third in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
During her college basketball playing career, Staley was one of the greatest players in Virginia women’s basketball history during her time with the Cavaliers. She had her jersey retired. Once she wrapped up her career there, she scored more than 2,000 points, had more than 700 rebounds, more than 700 assists, and more than 400 steals, becoming the only women’s basketball player in ACC history to accomplish the feat.