"Never in my career did I think we would get to this place": Dawn Staley on potential March Madness financial rewards for South Carolina

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley talked about the possibility of teams receiving financial benefits from making the NCAA Tournament.

During a pregame media availability session on Thursday in preparation for their first-round duel with No. 16-seed Tennessee Tech, Staley welcomed the potential rewards each women's team would earn from the March Madness revenue pot.

"It's exciting," Staley said (8:45). "Never in my career did I think we would get to this place. I think a lot happened to get here, and it got here a lot quicker than probably most people wanted."

The financial incentives, known as units, are rewards for college programs that made it to March Madness. Previously, NCAA teams didn't receive any financial rewards for making the 68-team field that will compete in a knockout elimination format. NCAA shouldered the costs for each program's expenses during the tournament.

The three-time women's basketball champion coach noted that it's a great start for the league to give back to those teams that fought hard to win in every regular season game and the tournament to make the Big Dance.

"I think it's pretty cool. I think it that the numbers reflect where we are today," Dawn Staley said (9:04).

"I hope they don't reflect where we are in five years and 10 years because we know that part of it allows you to be a sport and not a sport that is always in the red ... that's pulling on the budget always. So I think it's a great start."

Under the new regulation, conferences will receive $113,000 for each game a women’s team plays in the NCAA Tournament. The conferences will divide that financial incentives up to their affiliate schools however they see fit.

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Dawn Staley talks about Bree Hall, Sania Feagin and Raven Johnson winning a possible third championship with South Carolina

Dawn Staley also talked about the players of the class of 2021 — Bree Hall, Sania Feagin and Raven Johnson — and the possibility of earning their third title in four seasons as South Carolina is among the favorites to win the national title this season.

Hall, Feagin and Johnson were a part of the 2022 and 2024 South Carolina teams that won the national championships. The trio could make history in this year's March Madness, and Staley is happy to learn about that historic quest.

"I think it's super cool. I never really thought about it because we stay present," Staley said (10:08).

"But to think about them being able to do something that no other class has ever done, it would be them. I do believe that this class sacrificed the most. Because of their sacrifices, they put us in a position to make history."

Dawn Staley and the No. 1-seed South Carolina Gamecocks (30-3) start their quest for their third title in four years on Friday when they face No. 16-seed Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (26-5), the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament champions.