Dawn Staley walks on eggshells around UConn basketball capital question that may make Geno Auriemma unhappy

Columbia and Storrs are long seen as the capital of women's college basketball. South Carolina and UConn Huskies have seen tremendous success over the last decade and so, thanks to their legendary coaches Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma respectively.

No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks prepares to take on No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Ahead of the game, Staley was asked whether Columbia could be compared to Storrs as the capital of women's college basketball due to UConn's dominance under Auriemma:

"Be careful about what I say here. I mean, we've led the nation in attendance for the past 10 years, and it's not even close. It's not even close. We've had a tremendous amount of success over the past 10 years. And to answer your question, I think this is a pretty cool city that people would want to come and enjoy themselves—not just our basketball game, which they do."

Staley went on to praise Columbia as a city that offers "Southern comfort."

"But then, when you come here and you walk around our city, sit at restaurants, I think it's Southern comfort," Staley added. "It really is Southern comfort. So, I don't know who deems who the basketball capital of the world, but if we're not in the conversation, you haven't visited."

With South Carolina's success in the last decade, Columbia has earned a place alongside Storrs in the conversation about college basketball's epicenters.

Rival coach admires Dawn Staley's Gamecocks program

It's not only Dawn Staley who sings praises for her program. Tennessee Tech coach Kim Rosamond lavished praise on the Gamecocks program ahead of their Friday matchup at 4 p.m. ET at Colonial Life Arena.

"What I love so much about what (South Carolina) has done now is I think they’ve done it as well or better than anyone... taking modern-day basketball, the speed, the size, the skill, the transfer portal, NIL, but still blending it with the honor of the old school toughness and discipline," Rosamond said.

Interestingly, the last time the two teams faced each other was back in 1989 when Tennessee Tech defeated South Carolina against the odds. The odds haven't changed but Staley's squad is much more versatile, experienced and talented to lose this time around.