Dawn Staley details game plan to erase fourth-quarter deficit vs. Iowa in Final Four

South Carolina found itself in unfamiliar territory entering the fourth quarter of Friday’s Final Four matchup against Iowa. The Gamecocks trailed, marking just the second time this year that has happened.

Dawn Staley said although there are things she wants to see improve, she wasn’t too concerned.

“We need to play a little bit quicker and make quicker decisions,” Staley told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the third quarter. “We’ve got to get that ball into Aliyah [Boston]. We’re alright, though.”

Iowa did a good job containing Boston through the first three quarters, holding her to six points in that time and getting her into foul trouble. But other Gamecocks have stepped up, including Zia Cooke, who led South Carolina with 20 points entering the final 10 minutes.

Staley said Cooke has been leading the charge for South Carolina, but the Gamecocks can get her into the offense even more down the stretch. That said, it could come down to a situation in which South Carolina fouls — and Staley smiled as she said she wondered if things could be different if that happens.

“She’s moving at a good pace,” Staley said of Cooke. “We’ve got to get her some more looks. We’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive and see if we can turn the tide in a fouling situation.”

South Carolina also has a tough task ahead in the final quarter stopping Caitlin Clark, who’s putting on another impressive performance for Iowa. She’s fresh off an all-time performance in the Elite Eight, notching the first 40-point triple-double in men’s or women’s NCAA tournament history. She finished with 41 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to lead Iowa past Louisville and advance to the Final Four.

In her pre-Final Four press conference, Staley acknowledged how much her team wanted to defend Clark, who entered the game averaging 30 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. Her ability to score in multiple ways and facilitate make her a matchup nightmare, and Staley said throwing different things at her would be part of the plan.

“In our locker room, yes, they’re super competitive,” Staley said. “They all want a chance to guard her. It’s going to take all of them probably and more to guard Caitlin. She is someone that is unpredictable, like she’ll be able to pivot and take and make incredible shots, both from outside, way outside the three, to at the rim. So we got to show her different looks in order for us to hopefully keep her somewhat under control.”