"I'm headed to Disney World": Dawn Staley reveals celebration plans after becoming undefeated national champs

After South Carolina`s impressive championship win over fellow 1-seed Iowa, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley is in celebratory mode. And recently, she revealed how (or most specifically, where) she plans to take a break after a long but incredibly successful season.

"I'm headed to Disney world," she said.

And in truth, after leading South Carolina to a national title following a perfect 38-0 season, she of all people deserves a break.

Now a two-time AP Coach of the Year and three-time national champion, Dawn Staley`s time at the helm of the Gamecocks this season is nothing short of legendary. Aside from the undefeated year, she has also led the team to an insane 109-3 overall record in three seasons--and is now in fourth place for most NCAAW titles won as head coach (via CBS Sports).

She`s currently behind LSU`s Kim Mulkey`s four titles, Pat Summit`s eight, and Geno Auriemma`s 11 championships.

Dawn Staley won her first title with South Carolina in 2017 when current Las Vegas Aces star A`ja Wilson was her best player. She then won it again in 2022 and was close to winning her third title last year until Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them out to face LSU in last year`s title game.

Now, the Gamecocks beat that same Hawkeyes team en route to a championship the same way they beat almost everyone else this year: by double digits. South Carolina`s 2024 title run is now considered among the most dominant runs ever in NCAAW history.

What`s next for Dawn Staley and South Carolina?

Right now, it`s celebration time in Columbia and not a lot of people are going to let this championship go without a proper party. But after all that, the Gamecocks will now look towards their future.

As the defending national champs head into next season, they will have a target on their backs. Not to mention, they`re losing their consensus best player to the pros: 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso, who declared for the WNBA Draft the same day South Carolina played Iowa for the championship (via Greenville Online).

While the Gamecocks have been known for having an incredibly balanced team, Cardoso was still far and away the best player on the squad. Recent mock drafts put the towering senior from Brazil in the lottery, going fourth overall to the Los Angeles Sparks (via USA Today).

With Cardoso now in the pros, Dawn Staley will have to look for a new leader to banner her team for the foreseeable future.