"It's a gift and a curse": Dawn Staley explains Joyce Edwards' struggles while "teams are scheming" against her in NCAA tournament

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks edged past Duke 54-50 in Sunday's Elite Eight clash in March Madness. With this hard-fought win, the Gamecocks have punched their Final Four ticket for the fifth time in a row, while it will be Staley's seventh appearance as a coach.

Despite the win over the Duke Blue Devils, Dawn Staley's primary concern from the night was to see her star player Joyce Edwards only scoring four points and being stifled by the opponent players. She acknowledged it during the post-game presser.

"Yeah, I mean, teams are scheming like it's—it's a gift and a curse that you're our leading scorer," Staley reasoned. "So people are going to zero in on that and scheme to cut her production in half. Because of that, you see there's a short gap between us winning and losing basketball games. Just got to talk her through things."

Dawn Staley acknowledges Joyce's contribution in helping the Gamecocks reach this stage in the ongoing campaign. While Joyce has been tightly guarded by opponents, her teammates often get free looks and Staley wants her players to take up this opportunity and make the most of it.

Staley aims to simplify the approach as the Gamecocks gear up for another tough clash in the Final Four round.

"We have a week of practice where we can get back and simplify things," Staley said. "Hopefully, we can show her some film where she can be effective. But we need her if we're going to win a national championship. We're going to need better production from Joyce."

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Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks are aiming for consecutive national championships

Dawn Staley's Gamecocks started the game with sheer authority as they led 16-10 at the first whistle. They had a lukewarm second quarter but held a four-point lead at the break. However, the third quarter saw Duke return to the game as they took a four-point lead heading into the final quarter.

Syndication: Austin American-Statesman - Source: Imagn

But a sensational fourth quarter from the Gamecocks saw them register a triumph over the Blue Devils. They finished with 16 points in the final quarter while also holding Duke to only eight points. Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin were the primary protagonists in this win, scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively.

While Kitts finished with four rebounds, Feagin had a more eventful outing, registering eight boards and three dimes along with the points. On the other hand, Joyce Edwards only managed four points, a solitary rebound and a steal. She converted only two of her seven attempts from the floor.

Nevertheless, the Gamecocks will now face the winner of Texas and TCU, who are the top two seeds in the Birmingham 4 Regional. The Final Four clash is scheduled on Friday at the Amalie Arena in Florida.