Dawn Staley reveals what worries her the most about South Carolina's upcoming game vs Florida Gators

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks came crashing back to earth on Sunday after the Texas Longhorns ended their 17-game winning streak at Moody Center. The South Carolina coach revealed her concerns about the fourth-ranked Gamecocks' upcoming game against the Florida Gators during a news conference at Wednesday's practice.

A reporter opened the questioning by asking Staley what concerns her most heading into Thursday's showdown against Florida. Staley didn’t hesitate, identifying the Gators' offense as her biggest concern.

"Their ability to score," Staley said (Timestamp 0:22). "They can score. They can put a lot of points on the scoreboard in a variety of ways, most likely the paint. So drivers, bigs that occupy a lot of space, transition."

That prompted a follow-up question from the reporter, who asked Staley if there was one defensive strategy she could implement to stop Florida's offense. He brought up the junk defense as a possible option, a suggestion Staley quickly dismissed.

"We’re not too good with junk. We really aren’t too good with junk. We’re good with scrambling but I think we just play our defense, rely on that. It's work for us."

"If we need to change a little bit, we’ll do it on the fly. It will be in a moment’s notice type of thing so we haven’t worked on any other defenses," Staley added.

The Florida Gators rank 29th nationally in scoring, averaging 77.8 points per game. Four players are averaging double figures for the Gators, who fell to 12-12 after an 84-66 loss to then-No. 23 Alabama on Thursday night.

Dawn Staley's South Carolina struggles offensively in Texas defeat

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks will look to get back on track after struggling offensively in their SEC showdown against Texas. They matched their season-low in scoring, managing just 62 points on 36.8% shooting in the loss to the Longhorns. The Gamecocks previously scored 62 points in a loss to the UCLA Bruins on Nov. 24.

Joyce Edwards (#8) of the South Carolina Gamecocks in action against the Auburn Tigers during their game at Colonial Life Arena on February 02, 2025. Photo: Getty

MiLaysia Fulwiley was the only South Carolina player to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points off the bench. Joyce Edwards, who entered the weekend as the Gamecocks' leading scorer, had just nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.