Dawn Staley, USC set to finish a ‘year of pivoting’ with banners, adjusted schedule
With only a few hours left in 2020, the South Carolina women’s basketball team on Thursday will hoist banners to celebrate accomplishments from an unprecedented year — then play a game befitting these chaotic, ever-changing past 12 months.
Just a few days ago, the No. 5 Gamecocks weren’t scheduled to play at all, as COVID-19 cases and contract tracing forced Thursday’s original opponent, Ole Miss, to postpone. But by Sunday night, another SEC team in Vanderbilt had to pause activities as well. That left the Commodores’ opponent, Florida, looking for a game. And with fewer than 96 hours to prepare, coach Dawn Staley agreed to reschedule on the fly.
“I think our kids want to play. It’s an opportunity to play instead of just practice. So I actually just texted our coaches to see if they can get us ready, and (assistant coach) Jolette (Law) said she could get us ready, and she got us ready in a day. ... This year, our players know that it was going to be a year of pivoting and being ready and mentally being strong,” Staley said.
USC’s rushed preparation was made easier, Staley said, by virtue of the team’s veteran coaching staff. All three assistants have been at South Carolina for several years now, and all have head coaching experience.
“I like the fact that, you know, you have to be on your toes. I think we’re a staff that’s been together, and we know. We know exactly what needs to take place if we have to pivot,” Staley said. “And I think it’s cool because you don’t know. It’s not as regimented as years past where you know what your opponent is going to be and you know how to prepare for it.”
As recently as nine months ago, everything seemed perfectly in place for South Carolina. In March, the Gamecocks were 32-1, SEC regular season and tournament champions and primed to be named the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Then the coronavirus pandemic took over, forcing the March Madness cancellation. Suddenly, USC’s push for a second national title went up in smoke.
On New Year’s Eve before tipoff against Florida, the Gamecocks will raise a couple banners at Colonial Life Arena to celebrate that season. Two will be in honor of the SEC title sweep. The last one is a surprise, but Staley hinted that it will be “one that no other team in the country is going to be able to raise.”
Staley and her players from last year’s roster, most of whom are back this year, have been open about the disappointment and pain that 2019-20’s abrupt end caused them. But when the banners are unveiled Thursday, Staley said, there won’t be a lot of wishful thinking.
“With the challenging year that we’ve had, all of us, it’s a good reprieve to kind of see a banner going up,” Staley said. “I hope it’s a prelude to what could happen for us in the near future.”
As for the game itself Thursday, it’s not as though the Gamecocks could simply tweak their Ole Miss game plan and be ready for Florida. The Gators’ offense runs mainly through its guards, particularly Lavender Briggs and Kiara Smith, resulting in fewer turnovers and assists, while the Rebels are led mainly by their front court, particularly 6-foot-5 forward Shakira Austin.
Compounding that challenge will be the absence of junior guard Destiny Littleton, who Staley said will be out for undisclosed reasons. That leaves the Gamecocks with 10 available players.
NEXT SOUTH CAROLINA BASKETBALL GAME
Who: No. 5 South Carolina (5-1) vs. Florida (7-1)
When: 4 p.m. Thursday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: ESPNU
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Dawn Staley, USC set to finish a ‘year of pivoting’ with banners, adjusted schedule."
