“I don’t consider myself powerful”: When Dawn Staley poured her heart out while talking about her role as South Carolina HC

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is the epitome of resilience, grit and determination. Because of this, she has not only carved out a successful coaching career but has also been an influential figure in the sport.

Staley's humble nature shines through in her conversation with Nikky Finney, a famous South Carolina poet, in March 2018.

"I don't consider myself powerful," Staley said of her role as the orchestrator of one of the most successful women's basketball programs (2:40). "I have to set a great example.

"I have to keep them understanding that there's a bigger picture than what they think they're going through today. I think that's power, knowing that you can help someone else see there, see their light."

Dawn Staley's journey has been filled with challenges, from growing up in an impoverished North Philadelphia neighborhood to becoming a Hall of Fame player and a championship-winning coach.

She has led the Gamecocks to three NCAA national titles, including last season's triumph. The team went undefeated (38-0), and Staley was named the AP National Coach of the Year for the second time in her career.

Dawn Staley highlights importance of responding to poor performances

On Feb. 9, Dawn Staley's No. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks lost their first conference game in three years, falling 66-62 to SEC newcomer No. 3 Texas.

"It shakes you a little bit because it's so unfamiliar. So you think about where you need to improve," Staley said about the loss on Wednesday.

The Gamecocks showed composure and responded to the setback with a blowout 101-63 win over Florida on Thursday night. The win improved their record to 23-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play.

Staley stressed the importance of how the team rebounds from adversity in the postgame press conference.

"We win and we lose at the time," she said. "We respond when we do not play well and win. … If you play the way that you played in a win, but you did not play well, it could hurt you somewhere else down the line. We just wanted to get back in the win column."

The win against Florida was an important one to get the team's confidence back, especially because it has a marquee matchup against No. 7 UConn coming up on Sunday.

The Huskies are undefeated in Big East play this season (14-0), so it will be a tough test for South Carolina as it tries to build momentum for postseason tournaments.