Dawn Staley rants over bad officiating as South Carolina faces massive upset vs Texas: "We're not gonna adjust"

After the first quarter of the SEC matchup between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Texas Longhorns, coach Dawn Staley had some strong opinions to share. The 17-year South Carolina coach was interviewed right before the second quarter of the hotly-contested game and was asked about her team potentially making adjustments due to how their home game was being officiated.

In the 20-second clip uploaded by sportscaster Chaz Frazier on X, Staley called out the referees and pleaded with them to let the players do their own thing. At this point, the Gamecocks were trailing after the first period for just the seventh time in the 2024-25 season, with a score of 18-16.

"People are here to see the players play," Staley asserted. "I know I can speak for Vic (Schaefer) when it's either or, our team or their team, let the players play. The viewership, the people wanna see the players make the plays and make them game. I'll just say that."

"I'mma continue to talk to my players. We're not going to adjust because this is the way we play," she added.

Despite their efforts to showcase why they are defending national champions, the Gamecocks couldn't muster enough strength to overcome the Longhorns. They never held the lead throughout the game, only managing to tie the score by the end of the third quarter at 49-all.

The game turned into a back-and-forth battle in the final period, but the fourth-ranked Longhorns eventually secured a four-point victory, 66-62. This handed South Carolina their first SEC regular-season loss in nearly three years. The free throw disparity was minimal, with the Gamecocks having 23 attempts compared to the Longhorns' 21.

Staley and her team will now shift their focus to hosting the Florida Gators on Thursday, Feb. 13, in the hopes of getting back to winning ways. Meanwhile, coach Vic Schaefer and the Longhorns look forward to an away game against the Kentucky Wildcats on the same day.

Only one South Carolina Gamecock scored in double digits against the Texas Longhorns

In an unusual occurence for the defending national champions, no player from Dawn Staley's squad, except for the dynamic guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, managed to score in double digits. The sophomore guard delivered 13 points in 21 minutes off the bench, while starting player Chloe Kitts contributed just nine points.

Overall, the South Carolina Gamecocks struggled offensively, shooting only 21-for-57 from the field, including 5-for-19 (26.3%) from deep. This is the third lowest field goal percentage registered by the team this season.