Everything Dawn Staley said before the Gamecocks host Tennessee

South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley spoke with the media before the Gamecocks play host to the No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday afternoon at Colonial Life Arena.

Here’s everything she had to say.

Were you able to catch any of the Tennessee game and really cut it up in the wee hours, or this morning?

“Yeah, I did, I took a look at it. I thought it was a really good game, really good game. I thought Georgia did a good job not turning the ball over as much. I think only 11 turnovers for them. Handled the press with just some bravado. But I’m thinking they’ll probably be coming in with a little bit more. Pressing us a little bit more, and playing just Tennessee basketball. You know what they’re gonna bring to the table. So, you know, for us, we just have to make sure that we’re not turning the basketball over, that we’re rebounding the basketball and then we’re making them pay, you know, by breaking their press.”

What have you specifically seen from Mia (Pauldo), the freshman that they have? Undersized, but doesn’t really play like it.

“Oh, just good, just the evolution of her. She’s scoring the ball. She is managing their team. She’s getting people involved, she’s playmaking. She’s defending, like, she actually is being just impactful on both sides of the basketball, very comfortable in her skin.”

What’s the key either schematically or personnel-wise to handling that press?

“It’s a read, it’s like you’re a quarterback. You got to see what the free safety’s doing. You got to see where they are on the floor, and you have to look beyond the linemen, because you know they’re coming. So it’s just that. It’s about decision making, it’s about knowing who you’re seeing and how to get the ball to where it needs to go. And that’s hard when someone’s really good at pressing, it’s the thing that they do well. So, I mean, we’re trying to prepare our players as much as possible, and then hopefully the can handle it.”

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What does the injury report look like? Is there anybody definitely out for Sunday at this point?

“Everybody’s full go for right now. So, (media relations) will let y’all know.”

With the documentary coming out today that heavily focused on your national championship season a couple years ago, just how did that come to be and also, what are your thoughts on the final product?

“I haven’t seen the final product. I know it was a lot of interviewing on my part. It’s good, though. I think it’s pretty good. I mean, it was a season that captured what was taking place without knowing it was gonna end that way. But, knowing that ended that way, it was pretty historic, and that it could be captured in that way, so looking forward to seeing it, and just the entire history of our game. You know, in a way that a lot of people are women’s basketball crazed, so they’ll get more of, just footage and a deeper understanding of how we got here. Not just women’s basketball at South Carolina, how we got here as a sport.”

How much do you go back to kind of the struggles and successes you had against the press from recent games?

“I don’t think they resist as much, you know, initially, because their stuff is coming after you catch the ball. You know, Texas is trying to get you up front, get you to cough it over, cough it up prior to you even entering the ball, like, inbounding the ball. Tennessee wants you to catch it, and then they keep you off- balance as to whether they’re gonna run and jump, or double you. So it keeps you off-balance. I’m hoping we don’t have any issues inbounding the basketball. If we do, it will probably look a lot like Texas.”

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You talked about Ayla (McDowell) a good bit last night, but just what has it been like watching a first-year player like her develop in the way she has?

“Well, it’s been great. Like, you want a freshman to be as coachable as she is, and as patient as she is. And you have to actually believe in yourself. Like, you do have to believe in yourself, although you’re probably not getting the minutes that you probably think you deserve, or that you play hard enough in practice, that you deserve, and to keep believing in self and to keep performing day in and day out in practice, because you never know when your number’s gonna be called. And Ayla has been chomping at the bit to just get in the basketball game and make an impact, and that’s what she did for us yesterday. That’s what she continues to do for us as well.”

Ali (Tournebize) has been having trouble picking up a lot of fouls. Just normal freshman adjustment, or is it a difference in how the game’s called in Europe versus here?

“I mean, I think probably the game is a little bit quicker here, that’s one. Two, I actually don’t mind because that means she’s fighting back, like I don’t mind. What I did like was her ability to play with four fouls. I know we were in a zone, but you still put yourself in the position. You know, dealing with some penetration that you have a tendency to want to foul. So, she played a long stretch with four fouls. So every step, you know, may turn the ball over or may foul at this junction of her career, but it’s all great data to get her ready for what’s about to happen and to get her ready to help us. Because if she doesn’t play, she doesn’t foul, she doesn’t turn the ball over, and she’s only making shots…that’s misconception. That’s not how it is. Everybody’s throwing everything at her, and she’s catching it, and now she’s starting to dish it out a bit, which I don’t mind.”

What’s your message to the Gamecocks playing in the Super Bowl this weekend?

“I mean, it’s a couple of them, right? We got some of the Patriots.”

Marcellus Dial is hurt, but he’ll be on the team. So two active, both on the Seahawks.

“Oh. Happy. Like, you don’t get to play in Super Bowls, you don’t get to play in national championships every year, but it goes to show that the Gamecocks are producing Super Bowl participants. And, you know, if obviously, some of the upper echelon football teams got multiple people in it, probably two to three times more than us. But when you have somebody in there that represents, it means something, and it means that we produce those high-caliber players. And I hope that, well, we can’t lose, so somebody’s gonna bring home a Super Bowl ring. I’m gonna give my prediction, though. (I) gotta go with (Raven Johnson’s) man. I got to go with the Hawks. I got an association with the Hawks, and Nick (Emmanwori). So bring it on home, Nick. I know your ankle was hurting. I know you’re going to do whatever you need to do to play, so let’s go.”

Speaking of that, are you gonna wear a Nick Emmanwori South Carolina jersey on Sunday?

“I got to get one, one. He was supposed to be sending me. They were both supposed to be sending me. Raven said it’s coming. They’re both coming. They both signed them.”

Which one are you going to wear though?

“Ray Ray’s, man! Nick’s! Gotta wear Nick’s jersey.”

To see the progression Madina (Okot) in the last month of her going on the bench and now starting last game, how is her confidence growing within the last month to where it is now?

“She doesn’t say, and she doesn’t give any facial expressions as to say either. I think you just have to allow players to work through some things. We just heard that over 70, 72 percent (on) free throws, right? So immediately I’m like, ‘Thank you Joyce’, right? Thank you. And she said it was only going to be a matter of time before she’d get back to her normal. And that’s with anything. That’s with confidence, that’s with, you know, shooting better from the free throw line. You just have to fight your way through it, and that’s what Madina’s doing, is fighting her way through it, and she’ll continue to come out of it and be the player that she wants to be and to be the player that we need her to be.”

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