Dawn Staley "builds chemistry" and proves her brilliance again as Gamecocks thrive without elite WNBA talent

Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks have had to adjust to losing star players to the WNBA every year, but this hasn't stopped their quality play. Despite losing top talent each year, Staley's squad continues to stay at the top of the mountain as one of the best women's basketball teams every season.

Speaking to WACH Fox reporter Matt Dowell on Wednesday, Staley discussed how her team has had to build their chemistry back after losing Kamilla Cardoso in the 2024 WNBA draft.

"We had been together for a long time, so starting this year, it's so new, there's so much room to grow on both sides of the basketball," Staley said. "It takes time to build chemistry. Like, we had really good chemistry with Kamilla. We still have good chemistry, but people are just trying to find their way in where they can impact on both sides of the basketball.

"And we're getting it. We're much better than we were a month ago, or two months ago. But we're still that same team that played UConn without (Kamilla). ... We just have to continue to tap into that."

Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks stay competitive even when they need to adjust without a star

Even with more losses this season than in their undefeated 2023-24 campaign, Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks remain one of the top teams in women's college basketball. South Carolina (11-1) is ranked No. 2 and has four wins over ranked teams.

A testament to the strong culture Staley has built is how her team consistently stays in national championship contention, even after losing star players to the WNBA each year. In 2023-24, the Gamecocks went 38-0 despite losing Aliyah Boston, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 WNBA draft (off a team that went 36-1, only losing to Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 Final Four).

This season, they've had to adjust without center Kamilla Cardoso, who was selected No. 3 by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA draft. Staley has hinted that rebuilding her team each year is more challenging than it looks.

Yet, she deserves immense credit for molding her talented roster into a national championship favorite once again, even after losing a key player like Cardoso.