The losses are so rare for South Carolina women's basketball that whenever they happen it gets everyone's attention. This is something that Dawn Staley has often used to her advantage. The Gamecocks win so often and are so talented that often times their talent will mask some bad habits creeping in.
Staley used Thursday's 94-82 overtime loss to Oklahoma as an opportunity to remind her team that they still have to execute and bring full effort every game because they are a big target in the SEC for upstart programs, like Oklahoma, to get a signature win.
Dawn Staley after @GamecockWBB's loss to Oklahoma tonight:
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) January 23, 2026
"They ran into a team that actually wanted to win more. They made winning plays. And we didn't. It's not really rocket science. It's really a very simplistic thing." pic.twitter.com/l2Di1HA6wt
Staley gets real with Gamecocks following OT loss
The Hall of Fame coach is never one to shy how shy feels, good or bad, and Staley didn't mince words Thursday night. There was no screaming or ranting, that's not her style. It was a simple, stern message to the players that what happened Thursday could happen again, and next time there might not be another chance to make it right.
"The conversations are real. We didn't do enough to win. And when you do that in our league, especially on the road, you pay for it," Staley said. "You pay for it in defeat. It's not a familiar territory for us, but we'll live. Our goals are still in front of us. Every single one of them."
The beauty of playing in a loaded conference is that there's usually another chance to make a statement right around the corner. South Carolina will have that chance Sunday when it welcomes No. 5 Vanderbilt to Colonial Life Arena.
Ta'Niya Latson has to get going against Commodores
Latson had a rough night against Oklahoma, going 1-for-10 with six points in 32 minutes. The shots weren't falling, and she just didn't look comfortable. Latson, who came from Florida State as one of the high-profile transfers in the offseason, needs a bounce-back game Sunday. Staley had it's on the staff to make sure Latson will be in a position to make more of an impact.
"We've got to do a better job of putting her in positions where she can score," Staley said. "She can make plays. It wasn't there tonight, and she forced it a little bit. Sometimes you do that when you're used to scoring points. We've got to do a better job of putting her in a better position to score and feel good about it."