How Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks have responded since their first loss of the season
With a night to sleep on it and time to review the film, coach Dawn Staley’s opinion of No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball’s loss to N.C. State on Thursday hadn’t changed all that much.
“I mean, it was as if I witnessed the nightmare, again and again, when I got home,” Staley told reporters Friday.
Staley had already made her feelings about how her squad played against the Wolfpack at home perfectly clear — she called out their play as selfish, uncoachable and untamable, among other criticisms. But now, after watching film and getting back on the practice court, both coach and players have to move on quickly for another ranked matchup against No. 23 Iowa State on the road on Sunday.
And Staley did give a positive assessment of practice Friday after pledging the night before that the team’s issues would be corrected.
“Practice was good. They have a really good understanding of what needs to take place, and they came in in the right mindset and we got some work in,” Staley said.
The bulk of Staley’s worries are tied up in the offense. Against N.C. State, the Gamecocks shot just 27% from the field and scored fewer than 50 points for only the second time in seven years. The ball movement and spacing fell apart, and players reverted to “hero-ball” mode, attempting to do everything themselves instead of working together.
“It just seemed like everybody was trying to get their shot to fall all at once, but just on an individual basis, and there was no connection,” Staley said. “And I just really, I’m not used to seeing that. And it just seemed like everybody went into high school mode, where they had to tear open their shirt to show the S (for Superman) on their chest.”
That rhythm and connection, which made South Carolina’s offense such a menace last season, was better in practice heading into the game with the Cyclones.
“We had a lot more flow to our offense today. Our practice guys are, they’re tremendous. I mean they ran Iowa State’s offense like you wouldn’t believe. And we’re going to be challenged just like they showed us today,” Staley said. “But my main concern is our offense. I think we can pick it up, our defensive intensity some, but there’s a lot of room to grow offensively. And that’s what we’re looking to see.
“It’s another great opportunity for us to just play this style of play and make adjustments to this style of play as far as defense. So I’m looking forward to just the challenge of prepping for another game. We don’t have a week to wait. We got, you know, 48 hours before we go back at it again.”
Iowa State entered the season at No. 15 in the polls but tumbled after suffering an early loss to South Dakota State. But the Cyclones, led by longtime coach Bill Fennelly, still return junior guard/forward Ashley Joens, the only player in the country to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game last season, as well as three other starters from last year.
On the defensive side of the ball, Fennelly has a reputation for strategically using “junk defenses,” the kind that can frustrate athletic teams like South Carolina and throw off their offensive flow.
Against such a potentially frustrating defense, it can help to have a “nasty” player who can bring an extra edge. But as Staley has said multiple times throughout the preseason and first few games, this Gamecock squad is still searching for someone to fill that role. It’s not a knock on her players’ competitiveness, Staley said, just their willingness to call each other out.
“I do think we got a player or two that can step into that role. It’s just so ... they’re so young. And just, they’re friends and friends don’t like to call each other to the carpet — at least younger ones. But I mean, I told them that, I mean, if you want a bunch of friends who are losers, you know, you guys aren’t gonna be very happy a whole lot. This team doesn’t like to lose,” Staley said. “Obviously, they took it hard — their performances, their effort, their ability to not be able to defend the place in which we pride ourselves on.”
NEXT GAME
Who: No. 1 South Carolina (3-1) vs. No. 23 Iowa State (2-1)
When: Noon, Sunday
Where: Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa
TV: ESPNU
This story was originally published December 5, 2020 at 7:30 AM with the headline "How Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks have responded since their first loss of the season."
