Everything Dawn Staley said after South Carolina's win over Coppin State

Gamecocks head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley spoke with the media following South Carolina’s 90-48 victory over Coppin State on Sunday afternoon.

Here’s everything she had to say.

How similar are Philadelphia and Baltimore as cities, and what’s your experience being down here in this area?

“I don’t get home very often, maybe once or twice a year. But flying in and just going through the city very, very similar. The row homes, the people, people out carrying their sneakers, they probably just came from the gym. So just seeing the familiarity of being in the big city, and it’s cool, like it really is cool. It actually took me back down memory lane, riding through the city, and I really enjoyed it. I don’t want to live up north anymore, but I really enjoyed it. Too cold up here, y’all. But anytime I come back and feel the energy of a city, Baltimore, Philly. Really, really similar, it’s probably similar in it’s people, because we’ve got a diverse group in Philly and in Baltimore. We just want our cities to be represented in a way that’s totally positive. It was great meeting the mayor, because I know he’s doing some great things in the city of Baltimore that hasn’t been done before. I wish him well in his quest to continue to lead this city to great things.”

What were your thoughts on the atmosphere here today?

“Great. We knew the amount of tickets that we got went quickly, and then we actually had to purchase some more for our traveling party. That was super cool. I thought there was a great mix of Coppin State fans and a great mix of South Carolina fans. We do travel well, I thought both fan bases really enjoyed good basketball. There was no bias towards good basketball. We may be biased towards who we are cheering for, but when someone made a great play, they had an appreciation for both sides.”

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What are your thoughts on the job coach (Darrell) Mosely has been doing here at Coppin (State) in his first year?

“Darrell is doing a great job. It’s a hard job. It’s a thankless job. Sometimes you feel like you’re in it alone, and he’s not. I know he knows he has plenty of people that are supporting him. I got a chance to meet the president, the A.D. here at Coppin State, and they just seem like they have a really good community where there’s a lot of support. For him, he’ll continue to play the kind of schedule that he played for this year, which only means that his kids are going to perform at a high level against us and against competition that isn’t as talented as we are.”

How has that ’82, ’84 Cheyney team and your connection to HBCUs influenced some of the things you do around that?

“Yolanda (Laney), Marilyn (Stephens-Franklyn), Coach (C. Vivian) Stringer, they’re all just great people. We are being carried on their shoulders because when it wasn’t as popular as it is today, like women’s basketball, they were in the trenches doing historical things that we oftentimes lose sight of because we’re just so into what’s happening today. We also have to just reach back sometimes and just understand how we got to be as popular as a sport. It’s because of the likes of Yolanda Laney, Marilyn Stephens, and Coach (Vivian) Stringer. We cannot forget about the legendary Coach Stringer, who held us down and continues to do so.”

What are some of the tangible things that make this game grow the sport?

“One, it’s not very often that you’ll have one of the top teams in the country come almost on an HBCU’s home court. It’s just not what we do. You bring them into your home, on your home court, and then basically you pay them to come. Which is called a guaranteed game, where we guarantee a certain amount of money for them to come. It’s an experience for them, too, especially when they come to South Carolina because our fan base appreciates good basketball. They’ll get to play in front of a lot of people. I think coming here, Darrell gets to measure his team. I remember when I was at Temple, we couldn’t get very many high-level Division I teams to play us, let alone us on our home court. I always think about those times and give people an opportunity to play a game like this. It’s just a measuring stick. If we were able to play them again, would it be a 42-point game? Probably not because they’ve learned, they’ve been in that situation. You have to continue to familiarize yourself with playing at that high-level in order for you to reach that level. I think it’s good on all fronts. The fact that gym was packed, Darrell told me that this is the second largest number people who have attended a women’s basketball game. You really get to experience a bigger fan base, you’re exposing yourself to somebody that enjoy watching a game, enjoys watching Coppin State that is from this area, will come again. Season tickets will come, and just watch and support. If you could get one or two people to do that, you’re moving the needle when it comes to people supporting and compensating their women’s basketball program. “

If you could describe Coppin’s home court in one word, what would it be?

“Overwhelming. Even our players, when they came back from coming out the first time, they had people coming up to them asking for selfies and autographs and all of that, which is pretty cool. That pretty much only happens in South Carolina. But it happened here, so far away from South Carolina. We are up north, and it goes to show that our game is growing and people recognize our players. It only creates an exciting, overwhelming experience for us. For me too.”

It feels like you’re saying there’s a responsibility to push the game forward. Can you speak on that?

“We’re in this to take our game to the highest height. We’re no longer in the position of having to just exist. We don’t have to; we’re not in a position where you could just give us what you want to give us. We’re in a position to take us now because we know we’re in high demand. I think the likes of Coach Stringer she was fighting the fight 40, 50 years ago. The same fight that now, when you fight the fight, things are being done about it, or else things are going to be written about it, things are going to be said about how things are going to make sure there’s equity in everything that we’re doing. So it’s only right. I grew up around Coach Stringer, I grew up around Coach Chaney, I grew up around even my coach, Debbie Ryan, and Tara VanDerveer. They all have fought to have some of the things that our players are embracing now, and are giving now. And it’s cool, it’s hard, but it’s cool that we get to experience all those things when 50 years ago, it was just here. This is what you got, make do, and it’s no longer that.”

What does it mean for you just knowing that fans are from the Baltimore area and were cheering you on?

“It’s cool to see the amount of people that come out, the amount of people that actually move to South Carolina or have been schooled at the University of South Carolina. We get a lot of young people who come from up north to South Carolina, and it’s not just for the weather. I think for the entire experience, I’ve worked at the University of South Carolina for almost 19 years now, and never thought I would be in one place for 19 years. It is the people that really make you feel like you’re a part of the community. It’s the people that support you, as the people that don’t have to fight, you don’t have to fight anything because they fight it for you. If someone wrongs any one of our players or myself, I don’t have to say one word. There are thousands of people who will utilize their voice to make sure that we’re ok. They know because we’ve created such a community in the family that I’m no longer surprised by the amount of people who come up and support us wherever we go on the road. It’s super cool that we have such a great population of South Carolina for us right here in Baltimore.”

The Gamecocks will be back in action on Thursday, when they travel to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on the no. 13 Sooners.

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