South Carolina women's basketball: Dawn Staley helps seniors refocus

Through the first three games of the season, South Carolina struggled with slow starts. South Carolina fell behind 7-0 to Michigan, trailed most of the first quarter and 25-21 in the second quarter to NC State, and trailed Coppin State 16-13.

Following the third game, Dawn Staley publicly singled out the cause. That led to some uncomfortable conversations but a significantly improved outlook.

The Gamecocks start four fourth- or fifth-year players. They each have WNBA aspirations and Staley believed some of the players were focused more on their draft stock than playing the right way.

“Sometimes, it happens. I do know that this is a real thing.” Staley said. “When we have our WNBA-eligible players, sometimes, it happens during the season at some point. It hasn’t happened this early. And maybe that’s not what they’re thinking about, but I’m sure they are thinking about it. It makes you press, and it gets you out of your normal routine of focusing on the game. Your focus becomes something else.”

Specifically, Staley was talking about the early season struggles of Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, and Sania Feagin. In the first three games, the trio was virtually invisible, getting into foul trouble and missing shots at an alarming rate.

With three-fifths of the starting lineup failing to produce, the slow starts followed. Then came the conversations. Hall admitted there were some tears.

“Me and Coach and some of the other coaches had some conversations where I was very tearful just because I know what I want,” she said. “When I want something, I’m going to pursue it as much as I can, but sometimes I overthink and pursue it a little bit too much, where I start stressing myself out, doubting myself. I feel like today, I didn’t go out there overthinking. I’m taking this game for one game and not overthinking like I typically do.”

Staley agreed it wasn’t pleasant but said being direct was the best way to get Hall back into the right mindset.

“The (conversations) are just like, ‘You’re pressing,’” Staley said. “You get straight to the point, like, ‘Relax, you gotta take the shots.’ You gotta take the shots that you take in practice without getting sped up. If you’re taking your normal catch-and-shoot shot, she’s good. She’s more than efficient. But she gets sped up and starts shooting faster. All the motions are faster. She’s not very efficient. It’s simple.”

Hall shot 38.5% from three last season but was just 3-9 to start the season. She was just 7-19 overall. When her first three-point attempt against East Carolina went down, it lifted a weight off her shoulders.

“My God, it felt great. Definitely felt great,” Hall said. “Before, in the other games, I was really pressing to get the ball in and not letting myself just catch and shoot and shoot it with ease like I usually do. I just felt good to see those go down.”

Hall finished with 10 points on 3-6 shooting and 2-4 from three, all season-high numbers. 

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“The shots that she took today were perfect shots for her. She was 2-for-4,” Staley said. “If she could be 2-for-4 for the rest of the season, it increases her chances of being a pro, increases her stock. She just plays like she plays today, which was great on both sides of the basketball. I think she’ll get a lot more confident and a lot less pressing in situations that don’t really call for her to press because the shot clock is good. She’s playing with floor spacers. She’s going to have the space to do some things out there. She just has to exhale.”

Shot selection was an obvious issue for Hall, but for Feagin, it’s a little more complimented. Entering this season, Feagin played in 96 games, but she had only started three times. Being a regular starter was something she didn’t immediately adjust to.

In the first three games of the season, Feagin scored just 12 points total. She got into quick foul trouble that caused her to play just 10 minutes against Michigan and seven minutes against Coppin State.

Then, against the Pirates, Feagin chipped in 10 points and four rebounds in just 14 minutes.

“I felt very comfortable,” she said. “I wouldn’t say this is my best game, but I do feel like my game is coming together.”

Staley was pleased with how Feagin played.

“We need Feagin to play the way she’s playing,” Staley said. “She’s gotta be solid. She’s gotta be great defensively. She’s gotta be solid offensively. And she’s gotta just be active. Her activity, her experience, Feagin knows what to do, whether or not she’s gonna do it any given day, it’s gonna be on her.”

Feagin said her experience was similar to Hall’s, and the message was received.

“Same thing. Just staying focused and worrying about one game at a time and not worry about ahead of the season,” she said. “Just me overthinking but relaxing and realizing that it’s going to come.”

That’s the mentality and production South Carolina needs going forward, with the rivalry game against Clemson and then a pair of top-ten battles on the horizon.

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