"Classy statement" "She's a dawg": Fans heap praise on Dawn Staley as South Carolina HC advocates for equal recognition

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley openly addressed the narrative surrounding UConn's Paige Bueckers ahead of the NCAA Championship final. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Staley compared the attention Bueckers is receiving to the hype around former Iowa star Caitlin Clark during the 2023-24 season.

An X post on Saturday from reporter Colin Salao caught Staley on camera being candid about her thoughts,

“We find ourselves back here in a similar situation,” Staley said. “I also want the sentiments to be about what our players [South Carolina] have been able to do equally. We can raise Paige up because she deserves that. We can raise [South Carolina] players up because they deserve that. There’s room for our game.”

As Coach Staley addressed the lack of respect her team and players were facing, Fans took to Twitter (formerly X) to make their feelings heard on the issue.

"Classy statement.", one fan commented

While another fan appreciated the South Carolina HC's competitive nature, "She’s a dawg"

South Carolina is about to do them dirty like they [Iowa] last year, said another fan

Here's what people were saying about Dawn Staley's comments

"Miss Dawn. Really great talk!! It’s bout both!!", shared one fan

Meanwhile, some fans did not agree with the statement,

"She’s a disgrace", said one fan

"Until Uconn breaks them off tomorrow", another fan tweeted

"Can't wait for UConn to put that trash heap to bed", commented another user

Staley highlighted that she and the Gamecocks seem to be experiencing a familiar story. In the 2023-24 season, South Carolina secured a spot in the Final Four with an unbeaten record, with much of the talk being around Caitlin Clark and her impressive performances.

Fast forward to 2024, despite South Carolina's undefeated streak heading into the championship game, Coach Staley emphasized that the focus has once again been diverted away from her Gamecocks.

Dawn Staley shares her thoughts ahead of the 2025 National Championship final

Dawn Staley’s South Carolina secured a spot in Sunday’s Championship game with a 74-57 victory against Texas in the Final Four on Friday. The Gamecocks will be aiming to become the first program in over a decade to win back-to-back national titles.

Addressing the media after the victory, Staley was quick to highlight that past success doesn’t guarantee future results.

“I wish it would spot us 10 points because we’re undefeated,” Staley said. “I’d feel really good about that.”

Staley has won all three of her national championship games, with victories in 2017, 2022 and 2024, which include a win over UConn three years ago. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against UConn, Staley made it clear that previous wins meant little to the outcome of the final.

“Nothing that happened prior to here is going to help us on Sunday, nothing,” Staley said. “If it’s UConn, it’s not going to help us. If it’s UCLA, it’s not going to help us either.”

Dawn Staley highlighted that in-game adjustments and on-court performance are what matter, noting that she and her staff went straight back to the court to scout the UCLA-UConn semifinal after their own game. UConn secured its spot by defeating UCLA 85-51, setting the stage for an exciting championship showdown.