Since the start of the season, Dawn Staley’s squad has been maintaining a super streak. The South Carolina Gamecocks have only been winning and marching forward to their next game, standing as the only unbeatable team in Division I basketball.
The Gamecocks have an unbeaten record of 18-0 and rank 1st in both the SEC and the AP Top-25 poll. Their consistent achievements have proven their resilience and determination on the court. Let’s explore how they’re maintaining their winning streak since the beginning.
The unbeatable South Carolina Gamecocks
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South Carolina has remarkably displayed their unbeatable character this season. Notably, the team has a balanced scoring attack contributing multiple players on the team’s roster. The team has a collective average of 81.4 points per game this season. This also reflects the team’s toughness on the defensive end as they have easily been able to limit their opponents to an average of not more than 51.1 points per game, with Ashlyn Watkins and Kamilla Cardoso guarding the basket.
Dedicating their strength, the Gamecock’s ability to rebound has also played a key role in their team’s success, constantly winning rebounding battles in matchups. More so, Bree Hall’s clutch shooting aided South Carolina in successfully ending a game on a 9-2 run. This shows their ability to make clutch plays in high-pressure situations.
Significantly, their never-give-up attitude was visible in their recent thriller against LSU when they bucked up and erased their 11-point trail in a late run and took the winning 76-70 lead.
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Although, as magnificent as it is, their gameplay does vary in every game and is based on the strategies guided by their coach Dawn Staley.
Dawn Staley’s distinctive coaching style
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3x Naismith Coach of the Year is still going strong. Dawn Staley’s contribution to women’s basketball as a player and as a coach has been phenomenal. Strategizing for the Gamecocks, the brilliance in her guidance is a contribution of many aspects including trust-based relationship, discipline, personal connection, and leadership.
As a coach, Dawn highly believes in the power of relationships and trust. As a result, she has created a positive culture within the team by investing in trustworthy relationships with the players and nurturing them. Besides, Dawn’s emphasis on discipline goes both on and off the court. According to Dawn, “a disciplined person can achieve anything.”
However, she also understands that with discipline there is also an endearing personal connection that is very necessary. Hence, she connects with her players on a personal level while maintaining a level of discipline and commitment to them. This balance of high expectations and personal connection has proved to be successful at both college and international levels.
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Going back to her days as a player, the former point guard exhibits stellar qualities of a leader that now aligns with her instrumentally guiding her team to their unbeaten success.