“We had nobody to stop her”: Dawn Staley reviews Texas star’s “unstoppable” display vs South Carolina

The Dawn Staley-coached South Carolina Gamecocks just had their 57-game SEC regular-season win streak snapped by the Texas Longhorns. On Sunday, the No. 4-ranked program in the country edged out the reigning national champions in a closely contested battle, 66-62. This marked the Gamecocks' first conference loss since 2021.

Sophomore guard Madison Booker was the standout performer for Texas, leading the charge with 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two steals while playing all but one minute of the game. However, it was junior swingman Kyla Oldacre who provided an unexpected spark off the bench. South Carolina had no answer for her, and she played a pivotal role in securing the victory.

During the post-game press conference, Staley shared her thoughts on the third-year forward, commending her performance and acknowledging how unstoppable she was. The 54-year-old coach indicated that they couldn't find a way to stop her charge:

"We had nobody to stop her, unstoppable on both sides of the ball. She was very active defensively and, there's not much we can do with that when she's got two feet in the paint. She's that deep," she said. (2:55)

The three-time national champion coach then discussed Vic Schaefer's choice to go with Oldacre and the trust he placed in her to finish the intense matchups strong:

"I would have too. I thought their other bigs got them to a great place in the game. And then, they used Oldacre to finish us. She did a great job, she came through for them time and time again like crucial baskets," Staley shared. (3:05)

Oldacre finished with 13 points on an efficient 6-for-10 shooting, along with six rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block in 21 minutes off the bench. To the delight of coach Schaefer, the Mason, Ohio, native's outing is a promising sign of things to come for the transfer from the Miami Hurricanes.

Dawn Staley says that the newcomers make the SEC the best in the country

Back in July 2024, the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma joined the SEC after previously competing in the Big 12 conference. Dawn Staley commented on the addition, saying:

"I think them (Texas) and Oklahoma make us, not arguably, the best conference in the country. We are, it's solidified with bringing them in. It's just, you got a top five program, top 25 program, come into a league that already was unforgiving. Now, it's survival at this point," she expressed.(7:00)

For Staley and the Gamecocks, the focus now shifts to their upcoming home conference matchup against the Florida Gators on Thursday, Feb. 13. They hope to return to the win column and continue their quest for a potential national title repeat.