"Hope you're good": South Carolina's Dawn Staley worries as Kahleah Copper takes a tough hit against Japan in 2024 Paris Olympics

As the entire nation gleamed in Team USA’s glorious 102-76 win over Japan, Dawn Staley shed light on the potential hiccups that could occur after Kahleah Copper’s concerning instance on the court. In a tussle for a loose ball, Copper collided with Japan's Rui Machida during the second quarter on Monday.

The impact forced her to stay on the floor tensely for a brief period while comforting herself. Dawn Staley encouraged fans to pray and checked up on Kahleah Copper’s health while tagging the Olympian in her X post.

"Let’s make sure norf Philly’s own is alright! @kahleahcopper hope you are good! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾," Staley quipped.

Nearly a minute after the collision, Copper got up and seemed like she was holding her own on the floor. She played a total of six minutes in the game and scored four points, two rebounds, one steal and one block in her Olympic debut.

Moreover, as Team USA garnered a dominant 26-point win over Japan in the opener, Kahleah Copper cleared her health concerns by replying to Staley’s X post.

"I’m goooodieee🥹 thank you🤞🏾❤️," Copper wrote after the Olympic opener.

Team USA was struggling early from distance in the game, amounting to a mere 20% 3-point efficiency over 20 attempts. This provoked a strategy switch at halftime, which saw the gold-medal-favorites burdensomely breathing as they entered the locker room.

There onwards, A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart dominated the paint, combining for 46 points on 67.7% shooting.

Dawn Staley believes Caitlin Clark could have been a strong contender for national team spot

Caitlin Clark’s snub from the Olympic team was one of the biggest narratives when the final team was decided. The debates even forced the selection committee, which Staley was a part of, to reveal their preference for veteran players and the year-long process behind the selection.

While Clark and fans have accepted the non-selection, Dawn Staley believes the Indiana Fever rookie could fit right into the national team.

“If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people,” Dawn Staley said in an interview on Sunday.

Clark's snub came in the second week of June when she was averaging just 16.35 points per game (14 games) while shooting 35.1% from the field and 31% from 3-point line.

Since then, Clark has upped her scoring and is shooting with a clip of 44.8% from the field and nearly 35% from the 3-point line.