Dawn Staley: South Carolina women's basketball is "Post Player U"
On Sunday, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley led her program to its third consecutive year winning both the SEC regular season crown and the SEC Tournament title. The Gamecocks’ 64-45 defeat of the Texas Longhorns pushed USC firmly into 1-seed status. As has been the case for the better part of the last decade, Carolina relied on major contributions from the team’s frontcourt.
On Tuesday, during an appearance on “Carolina Calls,” Coach Staley had high praise for her post players. Specifically, she spoke glowingly about both Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin. The duo (alongside guard MiLaysia Fulwiley) made the SEC All-Tournament team; Kitts was the SEC Tournament MVP.
Said Staley, “[Chloe Kitts] is a dawg when it comes to playing this game…I think it’s cool to see her progress.” Kitts has played her best basketball of late. She earned SEC Player of the Week honors two weeks ago before picking up the SEC Tournament MVP on Sunday.
Staley gave some love to senior Sania Feagin, too. “I’m really, really proud of Feagin…it’s easy to leave a place that you don’t feel like you’re ever going to get any playing time or like you’ll ever start,” she said. She stuck it out in Columbia, though, and earned a starting gig. Her coach now believes that “she is making herself into a really good pro player.”
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Kitts, dynamic freshman Joyce Edwards, and the injured Ashlyn Watkins will be major parts of the picture next year, too.
However, thanks in part to a caller’s question, Staley acknowledged her team’s need for a true big moving forward. Kitts and Feagin are under 6-4. So are Watkins and Edwards. The Gamecocks have gotten great production from their forwards, but they don’t have a true center in the rotation.
As part of her response to a question about adding a bigger player this offseason, Staley didn’t mince words. “[We will] see where the transfer portal leads us,” she said.
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The Gamecocks have gotten some big-time efforts from their current crop of posts. However, those power forwards are just part of the equation and often have had to play out of position. South Carolina has had success in the past with those types of forwards playing alongside a true center. Some years, they even had two such players.
Staley mentioned South Carolina women’s basketball legends like Alaina Coates, A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and Kamilla Cardoso when reminiscing on bigs from years past. All of those players stood 6’4″ or taller. According to Staley, whether it is a returning player like Adhel Tac or Sakima Walker (the senior could apply for an additional year of eligibility thanks to the NCAA’s recent ruling on former junior college players) or a transfer portal addition, the Gamecocks have to get back to playing someone of that size. “We are Post Player U,” she stated.
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For now, though, Kitts, Feagin, and Edwards will combine with the lesser-used Tac, Walker, and Maryam Dauda to hold down the paint as the Gamecocks look to defend their title this March and April. It won’t come easy, but even without a dominant big in the rotation, USC is one of the favorites to hoist a national championship trophy at the conclusion of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina is expected to be a No. 1 seed when brackets are announced on Selection Sunday. Fans can tune in to ESPN (or the ESPN app) to watch the show at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.
