As the South Carolina Gamecocks gear up for the upcoming NCAA season, there are murmurs that Dawn Staley and Co. would like to go for their third title in 4 years. Surely, the team has responded well on the court, winning both their exhibition games. However, despite having an 84-point lead in the second game, Staley is unhappy with the Gamecocks’ on-court performance, pointing out one issue that has stopped them from achieving perfection.

On Monday’s postgame press conference, Staley came to the fore to talk about some of the major issues that her team has been facing, and that have impacted their game when asked about “glaring” issues her team is facing.

“It’s probably a little toughness and just playing faster more often. I think our players are really trying to play the right way. They are a pretty unselfish basketball team. So I think we just got to work out some… We need some more game experience. I think what we’re lacking is getting out there in front of a crowd, getting out there playing somebody other than our… You know the highlighters… We just need more experience, and we probably won’t get that until next week this time. And hopefully, we’ll have enough to you know in the tank, and win a basketball game at a neutral site,” Staley stated.

While the Gamecocks are putting up their best so far, one thing they lack is experience. Their most experienced and mainstay player Kamilla Cardoso departed last season and was drafted as the third overall pick in the W by the Chicago Sky. Cardoso averaged a decent 14.4 points with 9.7 rebounds per game. Her 6-ft-7 frame in the paint was one of the major reasons for the Gamecocks to win the title.

However, the current team has three freshmen in Maddy McDaniel, Joyce Edwards, and Adhel Tac. Furthermore, their next-best star MiLaysia Fulwiley is yet to develop to her fullest potential. She is just in her sophomore year, so giving her the offensive responsibilities may not be the best thing right now, especially since the team lacks the experience of handling pressure in clutch moments before a jam-packed arena. Plus they haven’t played on a neutral site till now as stated in the video.

While this game was played at the Colonial Life Arena, their first game took place in Memphis. On another note, that hasn’t deterred the Gamecocks from giving their best.

South Carolina Gamecocks finished the game with an 84-point difference

The Gamecocks display during the second exhibition game against Clayton State was a lesson in balancing offense and defense. Starting the first quarter on a high, the South Carolina-based team scored 28 while restricting the opponents to just 9. Their freshman Edwards hit 9 points with a 100% shooting from the field and grabbed two rebounds.

During the next quarter, Tessa Johnson showed her mettle, scoring 11 points with 2 assists. The Gamecocks by halftime led the way by a 62-21 tally. And then they went a little slow, allowing their defense to take over.

In the third quarter, they hit 32 points with 52.2% shooting. During the same period, they only allowed 11 points with 5 steals and 4 blocks. Thus, Staley proved that the team which was known to stop Caitlin Clark during the Championship Finale, was once again up to face challenges this season. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Fulwiley showed her range by scoring 15 points as the home team led by an 84-point lead with the score at 126-42.

However, Staley has pointed out issues in their game. Hopefully, the Gamecocks will soon amend their problems to fulfill their dream of a third NCAA title within four years.