Dawn Staley essentially admitted defeat vs. UConn before 4th quarter got started

It's been a day to forget for the Gamecocks.
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Final Four Week - Tampa
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Final Four Week - Tampa | Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos/GettyImages

Entering the national title game on Sunday, the UConn Huskies were strong favorites, but plenty of South Carolina women's basketball fans were hoping that Dawn Staley would be able to coach up a masterclass and lead the SEC powerhouse to an upset.

South Carolina won the title last season and it was ready to defend its crown. Unfortunately, the UConn defense has been suffocating throughout the game and Azzi Fudd has been unstoppable. At the end of the third quarter, the Huskies were up 62-42, something no one expected.

Right before the fourth quarter got underway, Staley was interviewed by ESPN's Holly Rowe and she didn't hold back in letting everyone know what was on her mind. Essentially, she made it clear that her players had no answers for the Huskies. She added that she wasn't sure how to turn things around too:

UConn has fully dominated South Carolina in the NCAA women's title game

Midway through the fourth quarter, UConn's lead reached 30 points. Again, who in the world saw this coming? UConn simply could not be stopped. As you might have been able to guess, Paige Bueckers was also fantastic, living up to her hype of being one of the best players in the game.

Sarah Strong was also superb for the Huskies. As for the Gamecocks, there simply was no offensive consistency. The Gamecocks had plenty of good looks throughout the day, but the shots that would normally fall for them just would not on Sunday.

While fans were dreaming of another natty arriving, it simply wasn't meant to be for the squad. With that said, it doesn't take away anything from what USC was able to get this season, posting 35 wins. This team is going to be among the best out there as long as Staley is running the show.

The Gamecocks have won two of the last four national titles, reaching the Final Four in five straight campaigns. In this one, though, we just have to tip our cap to UConn for how it performed.

Schedule

Schedule