Dawn Staley says South Carolina players are hardwired to be lured to social media; highlights how to interpret comments made online

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley acknowledges the pervasive influence of social media on her players. On Wednesday, she joined WIS News 10 and had a conversation with Judi Gatson and Billie Jean Shaw ahead of the Gamecocks' Sweet 16 matchup with Maryland.

In the interview, Staley talked about their journey this season, entering March Madness as the defending national champions. Shaw asked about how she keeps her players focused amid external distractions, especially with the constant exposure to social media.

"Social media it's a part of their being. They can't turn it on and off," Staley said. "I wish they could turn it on and off, but it calls them. It calls them to look at it and scroll up and down.

"You have to take the good with the bad, because you can't just look at all the good stuff that that are that's being said about you and believe all of it, and then read the bad stuff and believe all of it."

Dawn Staley explained that she encourages players to understand their value and identity, emphasizing that ultimately, their worth is defined by their winning record and achievements.

"You're your last sentence or your last word — that will come out of your mouth or usually your thumbs — is winner, because that's what this team has done over the past, I don't know, 7, 8, 9, or 10 years," she added.

Social media has become an undeniable aspect of student-athletes' lives nowadays because of name, image, and likeness policy.

Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks prepare for Sweet 16

South Carolina, a No. 1 seed, is the clear favorite against fourth-seeded Maryland on Friday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks have not lost a Sweet 16 game in the last four years and are aiming for their fifth consecutive Elite Eight appearance.

Meanwhile, Maryland coach Brenda Frese is hoping to get her team to the regional final for the second time in ten years.

Te-Hina Paopao, a South Carolina senior guard, expressed that the team is ready for the challenge ahead.

"We've got to rest and recover," Paopao said (via USA Today). "It's going to be a long stretch for us, so we've just got to be prepared, be disciplined and get ready for our next game."

If South Carolina gets past the Terrapins, they will face either the two-seed Duke or the three-seed North Carolina in the Elite Eight on Sunday.