COLUMBIA, S.C. – It’s hard to remember now, six months after finishing a perfect 38-0 season and winning a third national title under Dawn Staley, that South Carolina was not expected to achieve such success so quickly.

This squad was new and relatively inexperienced, facing uncertainty in key areas and displaying some immaturity, which suggested that the season could be rocky by South Carolina’s lofty standards.

“When we kicked off (last) summer, I thought, ‘This can’t be happening,’ ” said associate head coach Lisa Boyer. “We had to deal with things we hadn’t faced before, like showing up on time and responding to messages. They weren’t in great shape, lacked readiness, and there was little team unity or leadership. We had to relearn some basic drills. We had no clue how they would perform.”

The Gamecocks were not flawless, but they managed to achieve a flawless record, solidifying Staley’s program as the new powerhouse in women’s college basketball.

Now, with nearly all of their leading players back, expectations are soaring: As the preseason No. 1 in the YSL News Sports women’s basketball coaches poll, South Carolina is a strong favorite to defend its national title.

Entering her 17^th season at South Carolina, Staley faces a new challenge. After taking over from UConn as the sport’s dominant force, she wonders how long South Carolina can maintain its top position amidst the changes in college sports, including NIL, transfers, and heightened competition in women’s basketball.

“I understand that sustaining our current winning pace is challenging,” Staley remarked to YSL News Sports. “If we happen to lose a game this year, it would feel like everything is falling apart.”

She was joking, of course. Currently, South Carolina is functioning at an elite level, with no indicators of slowing down.

Since December 30, 2021, they have not lost a single SEC regular-season game. They have made four consecutive Final Fours. Despite having a roster filled with talented recruits who might get larger roles elsewhere, South Carolina has largely avoided the transfer portal. They now find promising talent like Joyce Edwards, a top-five recruit just a few miles away in Camden, South Carolina, to replace WNBA picks like Kamilla Cardoso, who was selected No. 2 overall after dominating last season’s Final Four.

For several years, they have drawn over 16,000 fans to Colonial Life Arena regularly, cultivating a supportive fanbase for women’s basketball at a university that had traditionally underperformed before Staley’s tenure. As Staley is in negotiations to extend her contract beyond the 2027-28 season – with Geno Auriemma’s new benchmark of $3.74 million per year extension at UConn – she brushes off any speculation about moving to the WNBA or the NBA, where she interviewed with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021.

“This is where I truly belong,” Staley said. “I am following my calling. Coaching in the NBA or WNBA isn’t meant for me. This feels so right – it’s just natural.”

The challenge of building a powerhouse is that expectations skyrocket. South Carolina now finds itself in a unique situation where topping last year’s extraordinary achievement—going unbeaten against elite teams like Notre Dame, UConn, and LSU (twice), avenging their previous semifinal loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the championship—seems daunting.

Achieving that level of success after parting ways with five WNBA picks, including top pick Aliyah Boston, shocked everyone associated with the program. However, upon reflection, they believe that their triumph stemmed from an exceptional bond within a team filled with talented players but lacking a standout superstar like Clark or Angel Reese from LSU, whose celebrity extends beyond the sport.

“Our connection was incredible; we instinctively knew what each person needed—whether to support when someone was frustrated or to pass the ball to the player on a run,” said senior guard Bree Hall. “It’s purely about having the right players on the team. That kind of chemistry can’t be manufactured; it has to happen naturally.”

Overall, it was an unusually relaxed atmosphere for a team facing such high expectations and attention. The pressing question for South Carolina this season revolves around maintaining that same ease as complacency or players beginning to consider their future aspirations represent natural challenges Staley needs to address.

“Many of our players are eligible for the WNBA draft, and they go through this process,” she noted. “It’s common for them to feel torn at times. As the season progresses, their focus on getting drafted often leads them to think about making significant impacts on the court.

“They want it all. They want to win, and they want…

“`

To get selected for the draft, players yearn for championships. They strive for complete success, but often it requires some sacrifices.

When Staley began her journey at South Carolina in 2008, she was 38 years old and only a couple of years past her illustrious Hall of Fame career, which featured two Naismith College Player of the Year titles at Virginia, six WNBA All-Star honors, and three Olympic gold medals.

Now at 54 and in a new chapter of her life, Staley has transformed. She has established a zero-tolerance approach to certain attitudes and highlights the importance of nurturing relationships with players’ parents during recruiting. These connections help convey the complicated emotions players often experience.

Staley’s extensive experience and achievements lend her the authority to manage a program that values teamwork and depth of talent, rather than focusing solely on a couple of standout players. For example, last season, seven different Gamecocks players led the scoring in various games, and it was unusual for any of them to exceed 20 points in consecutive outings.

Her talent for motivating players to embrace a system that often requires patience and selflessness is the key to the Gamecocks’ accomplishments, particularly in today’s competitive college sports environment.

“These young people are dealing with so many distractions, and it’s essential to be aware of that,” Staley stated. “As a coach, you might want to focus solely on practices and move on, but it’s about providing overall support. We all work together to fully support them.”

“We empower them to an extent, almost to where some of our professional players struggle with the shift because we are straightforward. We keep it real, and I think professional coaches don’t always approach players in that manner. They need to maintain players’ confidence at peak levels while recognizing their star power within the team.”

“Players who come through our program know they have potential but may lack some key elements to fully realize it. That’s where we, as coaches, come into play. We regulate the right balance of sweetness – whether that’s adding sugar, honey, or sometimes just diluting it with water.”

Staley appears to have the winning formula for now. However, dynasties are inherently challenging to sustain. South Carolina is no longer seen as an underdog against powerhouse teams like UConn and Stanford; they are now the program everyone wants to beat, facing the pressure to produce championships consistently.

After securing their third title and being the favorites for a fourth, the program enters a phase where opponents will closely scrutinize any weaknesses in its reign.

“We explain to them that they are not loved; in fact, they are not liked at all,” Boyer mentioned. “Everyone is rooting against them now. The novelty of their success has worn off. So, we’re continually reinforcing that message, and especially in recent weeks, they’ve become much more focused. Winning a national championship entails a lot.”

We will soon discover if South Carolina is ready to take on more challenges ahead.