“They can’t control their bodies”: When Dawn Staley talked about losing competitive edge on account of getting hurt “easily”

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley enjoyed a storied career as a player, earning six WNBA All-Star selections as well as three Olympic gold medals. Staley was an exceptional point guard known for her ball-handling skills and mental toughness.

In an interview with Dan Patrick, an experienced sportscaster, in March 2024, Staley spoke about how she no longer engages in competitive drills with her players. Patrick asked Staley if she was still "breaking ankles" in training.

"No. I don't even get in competitive competition with our team because they can't control their bodies," Staley replied (Time stamp: 12:53).

When asked if it was because she could easily get hurt, she replied simply:

"Easily."

It was also a subtle shot at her players' lack of control over their physical movements on the court.

The interview aired right before South Carolina's bid for the NCAA Tournament, in which they were a top-seeded contender. Coming off fresh off winning the SEC regular season and tournament titles, Dawn Staley's Gamecocks were gearing up to make a deep NCAA run.

With the stacked roster mixed of seasoned veterans and emerging stars, including Kamilla Cardoso, Te-Hina Paopao, Sakima Walker and Chloe Kitts, South Carolina went on to win the 2024 national championship defeating Caitlin Clark-led Iowa in the final.

Dawn Staley reacts to South Carolina's victory over Texas

Dawn Staley's No. 2 Gamecocks took down No. 5 Texas on their home court on Sunday, winning 67-50. Staley, the reigning national champion coach, spoke to the media after the game, highlighting the team's sharp focus and toughness against a strong Longhorns squad.

"I would say with our team, they seem to really focus in," she said. "When there’s a number beside our opponent, they practice a little better. They’re more focused. They talk less. They knew the intangibles of this game would play a huge role in us winning or losing."

"And those intangibles are those 50/50, balls the intangibles are when your man is beating you, the trust, the help, and stay in the play and not give up on anything. I think it’s ingraining them to do that from a want to win, and it’s ingrained in them through our coaching staff."

South Carolina started strong taking an 18-9 lead after the first quarter which stretched to a 39-22 advantage at the half. Though they were outscored 16-14 in the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks cruised to their 11th consecutive win and improved to 16-1 overall.