Everything Dawn Staley said after South Carolina-NC Central

South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley spoke to the media after a 106-42 win over North Carolina Central

Here’s everything she said:

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Madina Okot didn’t check back in after halftime. Is she okay?

“She didn’t come back in. She was feeling a little sick. What’s going around?”

Creative with the lineups today. What went into starting Adhel Tac?

“She earned it. That’s one. Two, with our guard rotation, wanted to start a big, you know. We knew Madina and Joyce [Edwards], we thought they would play their normal minutes. So we could have a shorter rotation with the bigs, but that didn’t happen. And then I wanted to see what they look like playing together, because it wasn’t bad for a short period of time. I believe. In Texas, they played a little bit, maybe not. Maybe I want them to play well together. So they can create an option for us and then slide Joyce over to the perimeter.”

It looked like in the third quarter, they came out and played a little more together, a little more cohesive. Did you say anything to them at a break to get them to put on that control?

“Yeah, I mean, again, we’re still trying to find out our identity, and I think a lot of times we are, I probably said we got our own little islands. We gotta make a continent. We got to be able to play together. I thought Joyce was the example of it. I thought she kicked it out, got [Ta’Niya Latson] started with some kick-out threes. And then it seemed like everybody started to just play for each other rather than self.”

“And it’s not, I don’t think we have a selfish group that’s the thing. We don’t have a selfish group. They’re just wired differently in that they like to call their own number. And sometimes that’s not the correct thing to do. It’s playing together. Once we play together, everybody will be able to have some fun out there and score and I’m glad that they got a feeling, you know, what that is, because that’s what we’re used to.”

When you have a player like Ta’Niya, who led the nation in scoring last year was kind of the takeover player for Florida State. Coming into here, it’s a different system. Have you ever seen her maybe questioning whether or not she should turn it on and be herself or try to play with the team? Is that a struggle?

“Yeah, it’s hard. Scorers are hard. They have a different mindset. When they’re not scoring, really it takes them back. And for Ta’Niya, she’s trying to figure it out, what’s the happy medium? She really understands that at the next level, they’re gonna to take some things away. So how do you play in that space, when they’re taking things away, when you have to play with other great players? How do you get defenses and not think about you so much and load up on you? So it’s all those things. And, you know, I’m looking at the stat sheet, and she’s got double figures, it gets me a little paused because I know it’s throwing her for a loop, you know?”

“And, I mean, I don’t think she questions whether or not this was the right decision. Never questioned that. But I do sometimes when you scorer, you score some be points that you think a part of you is gone when it isn’t, actually, I just think she’s better as a pro. The dishes, her defense is a lot better. Just when she first came on campus. So all those things are making her a better pro; that’s sacrificing some points here and there. But, as you can see, she still has it. That’s not going anywhere. She’s known. She’s got a reputation for scoring. So that’s a known what the unknown is, can you play with other great players? Can you dish it? Can you be a good playmaker for others? That’s going to be the biggest question mark for, you know, for GMs and coaches to see if she could do those things.”

What’s the challenges we found about playing the non-conference schedule you have with such varying levels of competition and circumstances on a weekly basis?

“I mean, they’re all lessons, no matter the competition; they’re lessons of discipline. Can we play discipline on both sides of the ball? Can we just play together? And it’s challenging. It really is challenging. But I’m glad that we have, some games on our schedule where we can actually be a little more versatile, just work through some things where, they aren’t game deciding decisions being made in the first quarter like they were in a game like Texas or Louisville, like the things that impact, the things that you’re doing in the first quarter can impact the end of the game. And vice versa, the good things that you’re doing in the first quarter can impact the end of the game.”

“So it’s great to not have so much pressure that you can play a little bit more free and kind of do the things that you need to do to feel good, but at the same time, recognise when that’s not really helping the team. It might be helping you, but overall, it’s not helping the team. If we need to see those examples of when it’s not helping the team.”

Before the season, you told us you had two freshmen who aren’t afraid to shoot and can shoot. I think we definitely saw that today with Ayla McDowell. What’s she done at practice that’s gone to giving her this kind of green light that she has right now?

“I’m going to be completely honest, right? It was the Texas game. Meaning she’s a little nervous. Like, she was a lot nervous. And I do think because of that, because we threw out there and said, ‘Hey, do what you can do, you know?’ And she didn’t like the way she played. She didn’t like the way she felt. But if we don’t put her out there, she doesn’t get in the gym, and she went right to the gym after we got back ,and she can shoot them off. That is no question. She has to put herself in positions to shoot them off. She doesn’t always do that. Now she does, and we’re finding her, and she’s making shots. So, you know, hopefully we get her, you know, her roomie, her freshman partner back, soon. So, you know, they can go out there and space to floor for us.”

A recent South Carolina football recruit who just signed was basically telling me how much he loves and appreciates you. I know you and Shane have helped each other out with recruiting in different ways, but what does it do for your program? What does it feel like when you know there’s a 17-year-old football player who’s so vocal about his appreciation for you and your team?

“I mean, it’s just what we do, you know? I’m the I’m the coach that he called out, but it could be any of the coaches here because we do help each other out, you know, Coach Beamer does a great job being the leader of our athletics department when it comes to just sharing with his time, with his knowledge, with his love, for all the sports on his campus. So, you know, it’s par for the course. I think I meet a lot of young men and women and parents because I do think we are in a position of our team is just in the spotlight. We play on television, and we represent well. So when we’re able to, you know, play a small role in showing who we really are outside of your primary sport. It’s always a great thing.”

It sounds like players who were not out there today it sounds like they’ll be back soon enough. But when they do come back, it’s still only ten people on the roster. Is there any chance at any of your recent signees might go the Chloe Kitts route and come in at mid-year and go through practices and things like that, just to bolster numbers?

“I pray for that. Who knows? Actually, no, not the ones that we signed. No, they’re all committed to their high school.”

When it comes to this team finding their identity and kind of building chemistry, how much does the health of this team kind of affect that do you feel like it’s something that it will take longer because of the health?

“Great question. Yes, I mean, it will take a little longer, but I mean, I don’t see any of that. I only see what’s in front of us. So we had eight today. I only see eight. We got reduced to seven, I only see seven. Like, we’re just gonna play the hand that we’re dealt to the best of our ability. We can worry about whatever, whenever, but for me, whoever’s healthy, let us know who’s healthy, and then we can take it from there. What it looks like it’s a lot different from what it’s been in the past. You know, I see y’all some of y’all posts, y’all a little frustrated, too, because it doesn’t look the same, and it’s just a different challenge, and we are at our very best when we’re challenged. We are a very best. So, you know, it may not look like it or feel like it, you know, but hopefully we can get the same result. and that’s what we strive for.”

We talked to Tessa Johnson in Louisville, and we asked her about being more aggressive, looking for her own shot, and she said she’s not being more aggressive, that she’s just taking what comes to her. From your perspective, what do you see? Is it a more aggressive version of Tessa, or is it just that the ball’s finding her?

“I mean, Tessa plays the right way. Like, we needed that in the first half. Just play the right way, and sometimes playing the right way is an aggressive Tessa. In the Louisville game, aggressive. Like, it didn’t take very long. The ball wasn’t in her hands very long before she made a decision. And a lot of times it was just shooting the ball. Which she’s very capable of doing. Other than that, she just plays the right way. She doesn’t get sped up. She playmakes. So, you know, even Raven just kind of left the timeout and was like, I miss Tessa. Right. So do I, Ray. But we got what we got. We got Ayla. Pass the ball to Ayla. So, yes, I mean, Tessa also is making her first start. So, I think she’s cautious, but we all know what her capabilities are. You all know she can shoot the ball; she can score. She could pass it. Her defense is real, respectable. And you’re just seeing just a lot more mature Tessa.”

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