South Carolina women's basketball: Press conference recap

South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC • Polls • Scholarships

The Final Four coaches held their first press conference Tuesday. They didn’t talk much about the games, with the focus on the state of the sport. We’ve compiled some of the highlights.

Dawn Staley

• Staley said that there have always been compelling stories in women’s basketball, but now people are starting to hear about those stories and that’s why interest is growing. She thinks NIL is helping to expand “our game in areas that we didn’t reach before. It’s helping our game grow.”
• Staley seemed a little annoyed by a question about the team’s offensive struggles. “We’re playing good basketball. Whether our shooting percentage is in the 30s or in the 50s, I don’t think we’re taking bad shots.”
• She praised her assistant coaches Lisa Boyer, Jolette Law, and Fred Chmiel. “They’re the ones that really make our program go. They prepare us. They’re super competitive. They help each other out.” Boyer had the scout on Creighton and gave part of it to Chmiel. They spent three hours in Staley’s hotel room Friday night figuring out Creighton and by the end knew what they wanted to do.

Jeff Walz

• Walz said the key to Hailey Van Lith’s success is her physical training and her conditioning and strength. She trained at a college level in high school and passed the Cardinals’ conditioning test as a freshman. “She’s strong. She’s really worked hard in the weight room, conditioning. She’s able to absorb contact. It doesn’t knock her off balance. Then she can finish with her right or left hand.”
• Like South Carolina, Louisville benefitted from the Syracuse exodus following last season. The Gamecocks got Kamilla Cardoso and the Cardinals got Emily Engstler. Walz said the reason Louisville went after Engstler was that they were tired of guarding her. Engstler is averaging 11.8 points and 9.4 rebounds this season.

Tara VanDerveer

• VanDerveer praised the NCAA for improving the team experience this year. “I think there’s a big step up even from last year. I noticed that at the Final Four, and our team does, too. I hope that we’re really making great strides.”
• VanDerveer agreed that NIL has helped grow interest in women’s basketball, but said the key to growth is still traditional media outlets. “When you’re writing stories about women’s basketball, when ESPN is covering women’s basketball, when highlights are on SportsCenter, I think social media is important, but mainstream media is more important.”

Geno Auriemma

• Auriemma appreciated the improvements the NCAA made in athlete experience during the NCAA Tournament but complained about the condensed schedule the women have to play. “ Two teams played last night, Monday night, to go to the Final Four, and now we play Friday, and we fly out today. The guys finished Sunday, and they get Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then they play Saturday. Why don’t you address things that actually help kids get ready to play their best basketball at the most important time of the year?” Just think how upset he’d be if UConn hadn’t hosted its Elite Eight game.
• Auriemma thinks social media has been the key to greater interest in women’s basketball. “I think the exposure that they’ve gotten on social media has been, I think, incredibly significant. You see the ratings, you see the popularity of the game. Even though some of the crowds over the weekend weren’t as good as you’d like them to be, I think the excitement surrounding the tournament is as great as it’s ever been.”