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South Carolina women's college basketball coach Dawn Staley is a football fan. She roots for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL and is an avid supporter of the school's football program.
The three-time champion coach showed her support to Gamecocks football coach Shane Beamer after the No. 15-ranked South Carolina lost to No. 20 Illinois 21-17 in the Citrus Bowl on Monday.
The game had its share of controversy when Illinois coach Bret Bielema seemingly taunted Beamer, who reacted on the sidelines. The South Carolina coach had to be restrained before play resumed.
Staley backed the team after the upset with a message of support for Beamer and his players:
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"Still with @CoachSBeamer and @GamecockFB !! Proud of you fellas! Our future is bright!"
Beamer addressed the situation postgame and admitted he didn't like Bielema's gesture during the game.
"In all my years of being around football, I've never seen an opposing head coach come over to the opposing team's sideline & basically make a gesture towards the opposing head coach," Beamer said.
Illinois rode on running back Josh McCray's two touchdowns and 114 yards rushing to beat South Carolina and win the Citrus Bowl. Luke Altmyer threw for 174 yards and a touchdown for the Fighting Illini.
La Norris Sellers threw for a touchdown and 260 yards to lead South Carolina. Oscar Adaway III rushed for 69 yards and ran for a touchdown while Josh Simon gained 69 yards and a touchdown.
Dawn Staley, South Carolina begins conference play against Missouri
After an eventful 2024-25 women's college basketball nonconference campaign where they went 12-1, Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks move to the second half of the season — the SEC regular season play.
The No. 2-ranked team opens its bid to defend the SEC regular season titles against Missouri (11-4) on Thursday night at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri.
The Tigers have won 10 of their last 12 games after starting with a 1-2 record in their first three outings. Their notable wins were against Saint Louis (112-59) and SMU (68-61).
In their last game, Missouri trampled Jackson State 90-51 behind Grace Slaughter's 22 points. On the other hand, South Carolina has been able to balance its players' offensive contributions in the 2024-25 campaign.
Senior Te-Hina Paopao (11.4 points per game), freshman Joyce Edwards (11.0 ppg) and sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley (10.1 ppg) have been the top contributors in offense for the Gamecocks, who average 81.5 ppg.
Seven other players for coach Dawn Staley have tallied at least 5.2 points per contest but don't average in double figures, showing the offensive depth of the current South Carolina squad.
Their first test of the conference will be against No. 5 Texas (13-1) on Jan. 12. This starts the two-week gauntlet where South Carolina meets highly-ranked SEC teams on the AP Top 25 Poll.
After the Longhorns, the Gamecocks will face No. 19 Alabama (Jan. 16), No. 9 Oklahoma (Jan. 19), No.6 LSU (Jan. 23) and No. 15 Tennessee (Jan. 27).
Will South Carolina carry on with their SEC women's basketball domination this season? Let us know your insights in the comments section.
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