Recapping everything Dawn Staley said after South Carolina beat Vanderbilt

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley led the Gamecocks to a comprehensive 82-54 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores on Sunday evening to continue their revival after last week's stunning loss to the UConn Huskies. The win solidified the Gamecocks' position at the top of the Southeastern Conference standings (25-3 overall, 13-1 SEC).

During her postgame news conference, the charismatic Staley addressed how her team limited one of the best players in the country, Mikayla Blakes, to a relatively quiet game, tallying 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

“Yeah, she’s (Blakes) special," Dawn Staley said. "She’s very, very efficient, and that’s what we try to do. We try to make her as inefficient as possible.

“Yeah, she’s gonna score points, but we wanted to make it difficult for her to score those points, and I thought we did a pretty good job. I thought we made her defend, and that’s part of the process of when someone is capable of scoring a whole lot of points, they can't relax on defense. You got to make them guard, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that.”

Staley spoke about making layups in the first half and giving multiple efforts when it came to rebounding and defending. She said her team did a good job of not giving easy buckets.

Dawn Staley praises her Gamecocks stars

Joyce Edwards is South Carolina's top points scorer this season and is averaging 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Against the Vanderbilt Commodores, she tallied 17 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

During her postgame news conference, Dawn Staley praised the forward for her offensive impact from the bench.

“Joyce (Edwards) is a difference maker," Staley said. "She is someone that, coming off the bench, with the offensive firepower she brings, defensively firepower that she brings, and then you add her competitiveness to it, she’s a really really good player. We’re lucky to have. She’s finding her spots in a game where she can truly be effective. Running the floor is one of them.”

South Carolina's most potent offensive weapon, MiLaysia Fulwiley, had a stellar performance against the Commodores, registering 24 points, four rebounds and one assist in just 19 minutes of game time.

She is averaging 12.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists this season, and Staley revealed how the team was bringing out the best of the talented prospect.

“I think MiLaysia is a pro," Staley said. "We’re just giving her the tools to operate in that space because it’s not just one way. You got to be multifaceted when it comes to playing at that elite level.

“Talent-wise, she’s got the talent. So it's all those things that we’re adding to what she’s already brought to us because she wants to be a pro, and if she wants to be a pro, there are things we have to add. We’re not trying to take things away from her, we just want to add what she already brought to us.”

Dawn Staley's best offensive weapons, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Joyce Edwards, are hitting top form at the right moment for the South Carolina Gamecocks ahead of March Madness as they bid to retain their national championship title.