"If you allow them to get comfortable they will pick you apart": Dawn Staley reacts to Kentucky upsetting Tennessee ahead of major South Carolina game

The No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats are coming off an 82-58 win over No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers as they look forward to locking horns against Dawn Staley's No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday. This will be the last game of the regular season for both teams.

During Friday's chat with the media at team practice, Staley was asked about Kentucky's performance so far, especially against Tennessee, and thoughts ahead of the matchup.

"Just played really connected," Staley said. "The pressure didn't bother them. They passed through it, they hit shots, they played comfortably. And they're the type of team that, in which, if you allow them to play comfortably, they'll pick you apart.

"Great guard play, great vision out there. Not a whole lot of disruption, and when you don't disrupt a team like that, that can hang a 100 on you easily, it's a hard night."

The Gamecocks (26-3, 14-1 SEC) will host No. 14 Wildcats (22-5, 11-4) in a Senior Day showdown in Colonial Life Arena. Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall are the seniors set to depart for the WNBA.

This will be the 77th meeting between the two teams, with South Carolina leading the overall record 41-35.

NCAA tournament implications for Dawn Staley & Co. on facing Kentucky

It is a big game for Dawn Staley's team when they hit the floor on Sunday. If the Gamecocks want to earn the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament starting next week, then they must win against Kentucky, following which a coin toss will take place between them and Texas to decide who takes the top seed. This is because both Texas and Gamecocks have suffered only one conference loss.

However, if Texas and South Carolina win their respective regular-season finale, they will share the SEC regular-season title. Dawn Staley shared her thoughts on the possible coin toss, deciding the fate between them and Texas.

"We control our own destiny, and then if we take care of business and Texas takes care of business, then our fate is in a coin toss. Yay," Staley said. "It is what it is. I think we should have thought a little bit more ahead of this situation... that's just me though."

While Staley is not exactly a fan of a coin toss, she can only control what she can and that would mean to not allow Kentucky to railroad them like the Wildcats did to the Vols.