The South Carolina Gamecocks were not able to finish the job as repeat champions as they fell to the UConn Huskies 82-59 in the National Championship. This loss also gave head coach Dawn Staley her first loss in the championship game, making her 3-1 all-time.
With this game being the final one of the season, Staley now has to work the tough line of giving her team time to feel this loss but also starting to prepare them for the next season. The Gamecocks are losing a large senior class this season, as Staley would say, the winningest senior class in all of basketball, which means figuring out how next season will go has to start now.
"It is next woman up," Staley said in her post-game press conference. "We lose a large senior class with a lot of experience, our team will look different but what will be similar is how we approach things, how we prep."
Dawn Staley knows she can't dwell on this loss forever and she has to turn the page
This senior class was integral in getting the Gamecocks to where they are now and being at the forefront of women's college basketball; however, now all eyes will be on the next generation of South Carolina women's basketball players and how they will carry on the legacy.
Staley was never shy about using her underclassmen this season, such as Joyce Edwards, who broke out onto the women's basketball scene, Tessa Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Maddy McDaniel. Each of these players received ample playing time as they were just as important to this team as the experienced seniors on the court.
It is never easy to lose a big game like this as a young player, but Staley had some strong words on how she hopes her players are dealing with the loss.
"I hope they're crying, I hope they're boohooing," Staley said. "That really makes you analyze in the offense how we close the gap."
Typically, you don't hear a coach wanting her players to be sad, but in this sense, sometimes feeling a loss fully can help a player more than being coddled and told it is okay and they will get them next time. Staley certainly isn't going that with Edwards, who became a game-changer for the Gamecocks this season.
"I let her sit in her sadness, that's much more powerful than breaking that train of thought," Staley said. "We'll talk about it, but I'll let her sit in that space."
At this point, the game is over, the season is over, and Staley has no choice but to start turning the page now. The transfer portal has been open for awhile and while Staley has been busy, she has still be working in the background on how to build this team for next season.
The new goal for South Carolina women's basketball is not to win again but to finish the final game.