WATCH: South Carolina HC Dawn Staley breaks into tears as Gamecocks secure NCAA championship title in a perfect 38-0 run

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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley earns her second title in three years by outclassing Iowa in the national championship, 87-75.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley earns her second title in three years by outclassing Iowa in the national championship, 87-75.

After the completion of a flawless 38-0 season and the subsequent capture of the national championship on Sunday, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was visibly emotional.

During a post-game interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe, Staley was seen breaking down into tears as her emotions overwhelmed her in response to what she and her team achieved this season.

The three-time champion coach was able to compose herself seconds later and spoke about how she felt after the Gamecocks' victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the final.

“I’m so proud, so proud. I am so incredibly happy for our players. It doesn’t always end like you want it to end, much like last year," Staley told Rowe. "I’m just super proud of where I work. I’m super proud of our fans. It’s awesome. It’s unbelievable.”

Also Read: What is Dawn Staley's ethnicity? Taking a closer look at South Carolina HC's nationality and background


Dawn Staley cements legendary status with dominant win over Iowa

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley sharing high-fives with her team.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley sharing high-fives with her team.

Dawn Staley became the fifth coach in history to win three national women's basketball titles, joining legendary mentors Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Kim Mulkey and Tara VanDerveer.

After losing to the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four last season, the Gamecocks exacted revenge on the tournament's biggest stage. South Carolina rallied from an 11-point deficit in the first quarter to defeat Iowa, 87-75, and win their second national crown in three years.

The Gamecocks also completed the 10th perfect season in women's basketball history, becoming the fifth school to do so, alongside Texas, Baylor, Tennessee and UConn.


College hoops world reacts to Dawn Staley's emotional moment

College basketball fans reacted to the emotional moment shown by the 53-year-old Philadelphia native after the game.

They took to social media to praise Staley, who not only played for three gold-medal-winning squads in the Olympics but also led the US team to victory in the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Users likewise couldn't hide their emotions for Staley.

"We are all in tears 👏👏👏😎," a user posted.
"Tear(s) of joy 😊 Awwwwnnn Dawn Staley," another user chimed in.
"Bless her heart and congratulations to them all. She's crying now but soon there will be cheers and jubilation. And I'd give anything to be at their post game dinner. That's gonna be some good food and prolly all you can eat.🦞," a fan posted.
"I’m in tears too. She deserves alllll the flowers. 👏🏾👏🏾," another fan wrote.
"Well deserved," a user joined in.

A seemingly passionate fan of the game mentioned Staley's coaching style and how it worked for the team over the past three seasons.

"Best thing about her coaching style, is that she doesn’t call timeouts when a team is gaining momentum. She just looks at them and says “you know what to do” haha," he wrote.

Staley masterfully disrupted Clark's fairy-tale ending by directing her team to crash the boards, resulting in extra possessions.

South Carolina's efforts to limit Iowa's possessions, thereby ensuring they had more chances to score, was the decisive blow to the Hawkeyes' aspirations of winning their first-ever national championship in women's basketball.

Read More: 4X WNBA champ Sue Bird backs Dawn Staley's take in support of transgender athletes wanting to play women's basketball

Can Dawn Staley win more titles with South Carolina? Let us know in the comments.

Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here

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