Dawn Staley Sends ‘One More’ Message After South Carolina Advances To NCAA Championship
Defending NCAA women’s basketball champion South Carolina sealed a spot in the 2025 NCAA championship game with a 74-57 win over fellow No. 1 seed Texas in the Final Four on Friday night.
After a slow start, the Gamecocks outscored the Longhorns 36-22 in the second half, stamping their spot in the final against either No. 2 UConn or No. 1 UCLA. Ten different players scored for Dawn Staley’s balanced squad, as Te-Hina Paopao led the team with 14 points.
Staley did not waste any time — nor did she waste any words — delivering a clear message to the South Carolina faithful in Amalie Arena after the dominant win.
With three national championships under her belt, Staley could see immediately after the game how close she is to going back-to-back and making it four on Sunday.
“One more!” she screamed to the fans in garnet as she left the court on Friday.
This is Staley’s fifth-straight trip to the Final Four with South Carolina and seventh overall. She has stumbled in the semifinal on three occasions, but making it through the first game against Texas bodes well historically.
Staley has a 3-0 record in national championship games. The Gamecocks beat No. 2 Mississippi State in 2017, No. 2 UConn in 2022 and No. 1 Iowa in 2024.
That being said, there’s reason for doubt because of the two possible opponents in this year’s final. South Carolina lost to both UConn and UCLA during the regular season by a combined 44 points.
No matter who they face, it is just “one more” game in the eyes of the legendary Gamecocks coach.
