“You got enough in the room”: 3x national champ Dawn Staley shows faith in South Carolina team for another national championship

As Dawn Staley spearheads the practice for the 2024-25 South Carolina Gamecocks, she anticipates nothing less than another championship. To get things off the right foot, Staley replicated what she did for her last season's undefeated crew.

The three-time NCAA champion had her current roster holding hands in a circle. Staley motivated her players to be the best version of themselves individually and together as a team

"Last year we joined hands, and we ended our season probably much better than anybody anticipated, and I don't see any reason why we can't follow that up," Dawn Staley said.

"You got enough in the room to win another championship but its gonna be done every single person being able to handle their personal challenges, their individual challenges, both on the court and off the court.

"If you put this circle first, if you make decisions based on who is on your right, left, front, if we make decision based on that, I really don't see why you can't get what you set out to get," Staley added.

As Staley aims for the fourth title in her cabinet, she also wants the entire unit to learn to trust each other.

Dawn Staley's 2023-24 roster went undefeated throughout the year, lifting the NCAA trophy against Caitlin Clark and Iowa Hawkeyes. Rather than going with a star player or duo, the Gamecocks used their entire roster, which led to different scoring, rebounding and defensive leaders throughout their NCAA title journey.

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Dawn Staley focuses extra on creating a connection with her squad

Dawn Staley began her coaching journey in 2000. She led Temple University while making appearances for her WNBA stint. So, when she turned her focus completely on coaching in 2006, she had no trouble in creating an immediate connection with the players.

Her relatively fresh WNBA background helped get her players into the best position possible to make the leap. However, after more than 15 years of being a pro-hooper, finding bonding points with players is getting tougher for the coach.

"Fifteen years ago, it was instant — I could make an immediate connection with a player in no time at all. Five years go by, and it gets harder,” Staley penned on her Players’ Tribune page.

Nevertheless, Dan Staley’s stance regarding bond, connection and relationship with her squad stands strong. Due to that, she now focuses on decreasing the time it takes to reach a certain understanding with the players.