South Carolina women's basketball: Three things we learned last week
South Carolina only played once last week, an uninspired 82-46 win over Charleston Southern. But that, plus some important games around the country, taught us a lot.
1. If Dawn Staley isn’t worried, I’m not worried
You would think that after the Gamecocks needed a full three quarters to put away the lowly Buccaneers Staley would have been mad. You would at least think that she would have some harsh words. Instead, it was notable how calm she was, and how matter-of-factly she addressed the poor play.
That tells me a couple of things. One is that she thinks she knows how to get the team refocused after Christmas. Secondly, she isn’t worried. And if Staley, who only sees the Gamecocks’ flaws, isn’t worried, I’m not worried.
2. Motivation matters
I may not be worried, but I do see a big flaw in this team. They need to be motivated. When they are, they can go on runs like the four-game stretch following the UCLA loss. It’s somewhat understandable that the Gamecocks wouldn’t be as motivated against USF or Charleston Southern, but good teams manufacture motivation.
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Hopefully, and I suspect this is what Staley is banking on, SEC games will provide much more motivation.
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3. Parity is real
It’s a term that has dominated college basketball for a few seasons, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. Over the weekend, South Florida upset #9 Duke and #7 Southern Cal knocked off #4 UConn on the road.
The first game definitely qualifies as an upset (and paints South Carolina’s struggle to put away the Bulls in a much better light). The latter isn’t necessarily an upset, but it’s notable in that UConn lost two games in nine days right after ESPN ran a story about how the Huskies might go undefeated.
At least in the early part of the season, the top teams are a little less dominant. The national champion may be whoever improves the most during the season or gets hot in March.
