Sad news: The head coach of South Carolina womens basketball shed tears as two of her best players made a final decision to leave the team
On Tuesday, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley stood behind her team, the top-ranked Gamecocks, in response to remarks made two days earlier by UConn coach Geno Auriemma that were deemed offensive.
Following the top-ranked Gamecocks’ 81-77 victory, Auriemma reported that Huskies guard/forward Lou Lopez Senechal suffered bruises from the game on her body.
“What teams do to her these days is just horrible,” he remarked. It’s no longer basketball. It’s not basketball; I’m not sure what it is.
On her radio call-in show on Tuesday, Staley retaliated, claiming that when her team wins, “we’re called something other than players that are locked in.”
“They approach it the right way, win or lose, and they play the right way,” she went on. We don’t criticize anyone’s performance.
They consistently promote women’s basketball, and I remained silent for years while UConn was consistently beating us up.
The triumph of South Carolina The national championship game from last April was among the five previous matches between the institutions, of which Sunday was the fourth.
Prior to their current winning streak, Staley’s South Carolina teams had a record of 0-7 against UConn.
Freshman forward Sahnya Jah of South Carolina’s women’s basketball team was suspended indefinitely on Thursday due to behavior that was harmful to the team. The decision was made public just before the No. 1 Gamecocks defeated Missouri 83-45, and coach Dawn Staley’s refusal to provide facts has left many wondering about Jah’s circumstances.
After the game against Missouri, Staley, who is renowned for her moral approach to team management, stayed quiet about the specifics of Jah’s suspension.
According to Asheville Citizen Times reporter Evan Gerike, Staley stated, “It’ll be day by day.” “She will work day-to-day to get herself a little bit closer to returning.”
Jah, a 6-foot-3, talented player from Alexandria, Virginia, has played in 16 of South Carolina’s 21 games this season. She attended Montverde Academy for her senior high school year and helped the team win the 2023 GEICO High School National Championship. Even though she only played in games for slightly more than nine minutes, 3.1 points, and two rebounds on average, her potential was expected to grow when senior center Kamilla Cardoso was away with Team Brazil for an Olympic qualifying event.
Due to the suspension, the Gamecocks’ post depth is reduced, forcing them to rely on their starting lineup of sophomore Ashlyn Watkins, junior Sania Feagin, sophomore Chloe Kitts, and senior center Sakima Walker.
South Carolina maintains its lead after a commanding victory over Missouri.
MiLaysia Fulwiley, a player for the South Carolina women’s basketball team, and coach Dawn Staley
The Gamecocks’ victory over Missouri was their first contest without Cardoso. Watkins was included in the starting lineup alongside Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, Te-Hina Paopao, and Kitts. All nine of the available Gamecocks had scored by halftime. MiLaysia Fulwiley led the scoring with 19 points, and Kitts, Feagin, and Hall all had double-digit scoring efforts. These were notable performances.
In addition to her 12 points and 8 rebounds, Kitts, who had been out sick, displayed her defense with a career-high five blocks. She also played a key role in South Carolina’s defensive scheme, which resulted in the team blocking 11 shots and grabbing 47 rebounds.
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According to Pay Titus of The State, Kitts stated, “Recently, I’ve been trying to focus on more defense in practice and in games.” “It felt like the ball just fell into my hand. My teammates gave me the chance to block the other team’s shot because we played excellent team defense.
Especially impressive was Fulwiley’s play off the bench, as she scored nine points in a short period of time and showed strong defense to force a game-high six steals.
In reference to her method of spotting possibilities to take the ball, Fulwiley remarked, “I come up off the bench, so I watch pretty much a lot of the game before I actually get into the game.” Thus, I get the impression that I know the guys who dribble the ball and who are only attempting to move forward, pass the ball, or run the play. I just take a chance, and occasionally it turns out well.
Without Jah and Cardoso, the Gamecocks’ upcoming match against UConn on Sunday will put their depth to the test.
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