The South Carolina Gamecocks under their head coach Dawn Staley have won two NCAA Championship titles in 2017, and 2022. Their unbelievable stats do not end here. They have made it to the Final Four five times and have been the SEC Tournament champions seven times. The former Houston Comets player hasn’t left even a single stone unturned for providing the impetus to the Gamecocks’ success. Ahead of adding another historic event to their baton, Staley mocked the NBA.

Staley opened up on her feelings at the Halloween send-off match with fans on ESPN’s Sports Center. Staley talked at length about the upcoming NCAA match in Paris and took a dig at the NBA which has been sending players on international trips for quite many years.

What did Dawn Staley say?

A clip of Staley’s statement was shared by ESPN through their official social media handle X on Tuesday: “You know the NBA, the NFL, they take their teams overseas in regular season game and I always thought why couldn’t we do it. I what do you know… We’re doing it. I think it’s great, it’s super educational.We wanna win a game against Notre Dame, but the experience. We’re talking about the student athlete experience. We try to do that right here in our home country, in our home state. When we are able to give young people an experience like… like this. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know what we’re going to experience, so it’s all very new to all of us. But we know we’re going to have a good time.”

For the unversed, the South Carolina Gamecocks will battle it out against the Notre Dame in their season opener on November 6, 2023, at the Halle Georges Carpentier Arena. This will mark the first time an NCAA regular basketball season game will be played in Paris. This is another testament, after the record viewership of 9.9 million during last year’s Finale, to the advancement of women’s basketball.

The Notre Dame will have to find a replacement in Hannah Hidalgo if Olivia Miles misses out due to her recovery. Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld and Cassandre Prosper will be the favorites to be in the starting five.

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Whereas the Gamecocks have lost their starters and would be expecting noteworthy reliable performances from point guard Raven Johnson and center Kamilla Cardoso, it remains to be seen how coach Dawn Steeley will make the adjustments.

How was the Carolina’s last season?

The South Carolina Gamecocks lost to the runner-up Iowa Hawkeyes in the previous season during their Final Four clash by a narrow margin of 73-77.

The 2022 year’s national title winner registered scintillating figures of 36-1 in the season but as mentioned earlier couldn’t make their way to the Finale. And hence, would be looking to advance to the title this time.

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The Gamecocks will be looking to better their game and clinch the title. The clash against the Fighting Irish in Paris would only cheer their spirits and also test their new line of starting five. Perhaps this is the right blend of exciting fire and fury they need to win the coveted title.