$6 Million rapper hypes up Dawn Staley, Gamecocks as South Carolina arrives in Tampa for Final Four game vs Texas

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks have touched down in Tampa ahead of their Final Four showdown with the Texas Longhorns. NCAA Division I Women's Basketball's X account posted the Gamecocks' arrival on Tuesday, drawing a reaction from South Carolina superfan Plies.

The American rapper, who is worth $6 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, praised Tampa in his message. He urged the people living in the area to give a warm welcome to the Gamecocks, who are looking to win their second consecutive national championship.

"Tampa Give @GamecockWBB The Same Open Arms Love U Gave Me When I 1st Came To The City!! Tampa Is An Amazing Place With Amazin People! Please Show The Squad & @dawnstaley 1st Class Top Tier Love!! Welcome @GamecockWBB To The 813!!!" Plies wrote on X.

The video showed Dawn Staley and her players receiving Final Four necklaces after leaving their private jet. They had huge smiles on their faces as they posed for photographs at the airport following their arrival.

How Dawn Staley's South Carolina reached the NCAA Final Four

The top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks opened their 2025 March Madness campaign with an emphatic 108-48 victory over No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech in the first round. Joyce Edwards stepped up for Dawn Staley, scoring a game-high 22 points. The freshman forward shot 9-for-12 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.

South Carolina then faced No. 9 seed Indiana in the second round, with the Gamecocks recording a 64-53 win over the Hoosiers. Bree Hall led South Carolina to victory, dropping a team-high 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Sania Feagin and Chloe Kitts added 10 points apiece.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley cuts the net after the Gamecocks defeated the Duke Blue Devils in their Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Legacy Arena. Photo: Imagn

South Carolina continued its NCAA Tournament run with a Sweet 16 clash against No. 4 seed Maryland. MiLaysia Fulwiley led the Gamecocks to a thrilling 71-67 win, scoring 23 points, collecting five boards and issuing three assists. The sophomore guard shot 9-for-17 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe.

Kitts helped South Carolina reach the Final Four for the seventh time in program history, leading the Gamecocks to a thrilling 54-50 win over the second-seeded Duke Blue Devils on Sunday. She scored a team-high 14 points, including a pair of free throws with 5.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter that sealed the win for the defending NCAA champions.