"Dawn Staley about to crash out”, “Always looks like the loud mom”: Fans judge South Carolina HC’s antics vs UConn

Dawn Staley's team got off to a sluggish start to the 2025 NCAA championship game, trailing UConn 36-26 at halftime. While the Gamecocks restricted Paige Bueckers to 33% shooting, Azzi Fudd scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. South Carolina shot just 10 of 32 in the stretch and turned the ball over seven times.

At the start of the second quarter, a defining moment captured the night's intensity. Sarah Strong received an overhead pass near the basket and converted an easy layup for a 23-14 lead. A visibly frustrated Staley was caught on the broadcast, yelling "f***k."

Staley's passion was on display throughout the half, with one moment stemming from a call on Joyce Edwards.

NCAA fans reacted to Staley's animated instances, poking fun at the coach on X:

"Does Dawn Staley cry about literally everything? Looks like Izzo," a fan wrote.

"Dawn Staley’s facial expressions are telling… she knows her team ain’t beating UConn playing like this," a user added.

"Dawn Staley is about to crash out 😭," another fan commented.

More fans tuned in with similar perspectives:

"If Dan Hurley behaved like Dawn Staley is right now, he’d be in the locker room. #NCAAWBB #UConn," a user wrote.

"Sarah Strong making Dawn Staley say fuck on live TV is the highlight of this game so far," a fan added

"Dawn Staley always looks like the loud mom at a 10 year old basketball game..," another user commented.

Dawn Staley gets advice on winning the 2025 NCAA championship from South Carolina's football coach

Dawn Staley got advice from South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer as her team prepared for UConn on Sunday. He posted on X, sharing that his team went on a winning streak when the squad started going to Waffle House before games. He also showcased his support by saying that he visited the restaurant before the Gamecocks faced the Huskies.

"YES IT IS @dawnstaley & @GamecockWBB We won 6 straight 🏈 games last season when we started going to Waffle House before the game So you KNOW where we went for breakfast this morning!!! 👊🏻 Let’s bring that 🏆 back to South Carolina 🤙🏻," he wrote.

Staley is no stranger to winning high-stakes matchups or defeating the UConn Huskies in the title game. South Carolina handed Geno Auriemma his only NCAA championship loss ever in 2022.