“Obviously, Dawn Staley is the leader of women’s basketball right now.”
Despite losing to Staley and her team, Iowa head coach, Lisa Bluder, had nothing but great things to say about Staley. And who could blame her? Since arriving at South Carolina, Staley has reshaped a women’s college basketball program into one of the most successful—taking SC to six Final Fours and bringing home three national championship trophies.
For the former college champion, herself, this year’s NCAA championship was critical for the now-head coach. A year after their perfect season fell short in the semifinals against Iowa, the 2023-24 season had unofficially become a “Revenge Tour.” And the Gamecocks came out satisfyingly victorious. Finishing the season 38-0, SC became just the tenth team in history to finish with a perfect record.
“It was emotional for me because of how it ended last year. I’ll leave that there,” shared Staley in her postgame interview.
Regarding Caitlin Clark, Staley exemplified true leadership and gave Clark her flowers. “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport, and it’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour.”
