“Kind of Unfair”: Dawn Staley Sympathizes With Current South Carolina Squad as the Coach Has A’ja Wilson and Co. to Blame For It

A lot goes into making an unbeatable team. Whether you look at the collegiate level or the professional stage, success does not come easy. However, if there is one coach who has time and again proved that rebuilding a team is always worth it, it is Dawn Staley. In her last NCAA tourney, the Hall of Famer head coach grabbed her third National title with a truly perfect run of 38-0. But long before that, current Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is what brought her to this stage for the first time. Still, she only has that squad to blame for one thing.

Every time someone brings up A’ja Wilson’s subject, Dawn Staley does not stay behind in complimenting her prodigy. When discussing this with Aces President Nikki Fargas on the In The Paint with the Las Vegas Aces show, the Gamecocks coach could only compliment the 2x Olympic gold medalist. Certainly, she was the one who brought the University of SC to the standard that it is at right now, with the plethora of her NCAA awards. But the higher you fly, the farther you fall was exactly how she left the Gamecocks.

Hence, Staley blamed her. “They were a unit. They did for four years. To have to start back over, it was kind of unfair to this team to be able to uphold that standard because they are starting anew. But they found a way to appreciate each other.”

Allisha Gray, who recently became the only WNBA player to have titles for both the skills and the three-point shooting contest in the All-Star Weekend in the same year, graduated in 2017. A’ja Wilson followed her into the WNBA in 2018. Alexis Jennings, who was trailing Wilson in scoring, left the team in 2019. Hence, forcing a new bunch to enter Dawn Staley’s squad.

Dawn Staley duplicating the new era of the Gamecocks after A’ja Wilson

The San Antonio Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) drafted A’ja Wilson as the first overall pick in 2018. While things took quite a positive turn for the athlete, the puzzle did not get easier for Staley. She recruited new faces that could not get her past the regional semifinals, ending their tourney at a 23-10 run. Contrastingly, while Wilson’s last year saw a 29-7 run, they did go to the Final Four thrice and won the 2017 championship.

Nevertheless, the next year, Staley started again and brought in Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke. Talking about that group’s mentality, the head coach told Fargas, “Once they figured out they were good, it was like. ‘Okay. We got what we need right here. Let’s really just concentrate and hold each other accountable and let’s win.'”

According to Staley, the more games they played, the more competitive and comfortable they got. In the 2019-20 season, they went 32-1 in the shortened year due to COVID-19. They returned to go on three straight Final Four runs, winning the 2022 NCAA title.

The rest is, indeed, history. To date, Dawn Staley is one of the most valued coaches in the NCAA as she not only builds a winning team but creates deep-rooted bonds with her players. A’ja Wilson’s connection to her is also just as precious. However, looks like the 2x WNBA MVP will have to take the bullet for this one.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.