"I'm not trying to throw the commissioner under the bus": Dawn Staley issues clarification after raising SEC coin-toss concerns

Dawn Staley grabbed the headlines when she talked about a coin toss possibly determining who will be the top seed between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Texas Longhorns in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament. The South Carolina coach issued a clarification about her remarks during Friday's news conference ahead of the Gamecocks' clash with the Kentucky Wildcats.

A reporter asked Staley if she wished a different tiebreaker scenario brought in place for the tournament so that fate wasn't necessarily in the coin's hand, knowing that powerhouse teams Texas and Oklahoma would be joining the SEC from the Big 12 Conference starting this season.

"I would say, imagine if it was football. There’s a coin flip," Staley said (Timestamp 4:41). "Not for who gets the ball first, but who gets the first seat in the national championship. Imagine. Imagine."

Dawn Staley made it clear that she's not starting a fight with the SEC officials, particularly with Commissioner Greg Sankey.

"Now, I’m not trying to throw the commissioner under the bus by any means. It has been a part of the tiebreakers since as long as I’ve been in the SEC and that’s what it is. It’s unfortunate it’s coming down to that. Hopefully we can take care of it."

Staley added that she is looking forward to the coin toss at this point because that means South Carolina finished tied for first with Texas at the end of the regular season.

Dawn Staley's South Carolina to face Kentucky next in key SEC clash

South Carolina and Texas share similar 14-1 records in the SEC heading into their final games of the regular season. A coin toss will be needed to determine the top seed in the tournament if both teams finish with the same result in their respective games this weekend.

Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts to a play during their game against the UConn Huskies at Colonial Life Arena on February 16, 2025, in Columbia. Photo: Getty

Dawn Staley and the sixth-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks will host the 15th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday. This will be the 78th meeting between the two teams, with South Carolina holding a 41-35 edge in the all-time series. The Wildcats last defeated the Gamecocks in the 2022 SEC Tournament.

Top-ranked Texas, on the other hand, will host the Florida Gators at Moody Center on Sunday. The Longhorns have been unstoppable lately, winning each of their last 12 games, including a 66-62 victory over the Gamecocks on Feb. 9.