"Pure class"- Riley Gaines all praise for Iowa’s head coach hours after reacting to South Carolina’s win

The basketball world is dancing to the beats of March Madness, including Riley Gaines. From incredible wins to respectful and unpredictable losses, this year's NCAA championship got everyone hooked.

Renowned athletes from different sports couldn't help but get involved in the magical effect of the championship. Gaines, a former Kentucky swimmer is one of them.

Gaines shared multiple opinions about the game on X (formerly Twitter), including her thoughts on the coaches of both teams. After terrific showdowns and numerous stellar wins, Iowa's women's basketball team was just one step closer to taking the trophy home.

South Carolina, however, grabbed an impressive 87-75 win, powered by Kamilla Cardoso's 17 rebounds and 15 points. Despite the loss, Iowa's head coach Lisa Bluder took the praises of Gaines after giving a powerful speech to the team.

Bluder motivated her team by making them believe the incredible impact they have left on the basketball world.

"Do not hang your head... the impact that you had on young women and this sport will never be tarnished", she said.

Gaines came across the video on X and couldn't help herself from singing praises about the coach. She called Bluder 'inspiring' and the ideal coach that any girl 'would be lucky to play for'.

"This is what it's about...Inspiring the youth and developing athletes into successful, young women in the process. This is a coach any girl would be lucky to play for. Pure class."

This was a few hours after the American swimmer took a dig at South Carolina's head coach for siding with transgender athletes.

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Riley Gaines takes a dig at Dawn Staley

Riley Gaines took to her X account to point fingers at Dawn Staley for boosting transgender rights on the championship weekend.

Just before her team's NCAA win, Staley expressed:

"If you consider yourself a woman and want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play."

Gaines, who has been highly vocal about getting transgender athletes banned from women's sports, did not appreciate the South Carolina head coach's message. Expressing her disappointment, Gaines said:

"Major Props to South Carolina and that team. Going 38-0 is virtually unheard of.. But I can't help but be bummed for those girls knowing Dawn Staley would trade any one of them for a mediocre boy with an identity crisis."

In the aftermath, Staley apparently blocked Gaines from her social media accounts, refraining from being a part of the controversy anymore.

The former swimmer notably filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to prevent transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. She accused the organization of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete at the National Championships in 2022.