RebKell's Junkie Boards

[PG4ever]

Great conversation that Women's Hoop Nation has with the parents of Bree Hall and Chloe Kitts. Two highlights for me were their comments about Dawn Staley and the fact that Breezy--a true junior--will be graduating in May. Both sets of parents trust Staley implicitly with their child (young adult) and love the culture of the program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUF9TThLwgY

[PG4ever]

Post-game interview with Coach Staley after career win 600. Love what she says about her former players at Temlple, how they loved her up and prepared her for being the coach at S. Carolina.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1Qw5WZB-s

[Conway Gamecock]

Conclusion for this thread: South Carolina won their 3rd national championship in program history - all under Dawn Staley - in defeating Iowa 87-75.

A tremendous accomplishment, perhaps Staley's best effort as a head coach throughout her coaching career.

After graduating all five (5) starters, with four of them being drafted into the WNBA, plus one (1) reserve also graduating to the WNBA - altogether, 4 of the top 5 of the Gamecocks' top scorers, 63% of the team's scoring, 52% of the team rebounding, and 98% of the team starts for a team that went undefeated and wire-to-wire #1 until their 77-73 loss to the Hawkeyes in the NCAAT Final Four.

That team, featuring the majority of that starting unit for the majority of their college careers, went 129-9 over their 4 years, with a 2022 national title, two Final Four finishes and a season their freshman year that was cut short by Covid without a NCAAT in which they were 32-1 and #1 in both polls, assuring them of the overall #1 seed should the tourney be held. That team that went 61-3 in SEC conference play, with three regular season and three SECT titles.

So with all that talent moving on, the expectancy was more along the lines of a Sweet-Sixteen, perhaps Elite-Eight appearance at best for the young Gamecocks in 2023-24, and that the 2024-25 season would be the one where they springboard back towards being a contender for it all, if they even rise to that level.

Instead, South Carolina completes the first undefeated season in program history, and their 3rd championship in seven tournaments over eight seasons. And now they are prepared to head into the 24-25 season as a consensus pre-season #1 on paper, with all but one prominent player returning. They will help to usher in an expanded SEC with the additions of Texas (Elite-Eight finisher and pre-season #6) and Oklahoma...