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Why Dawn Staley is women's college basketball's giant — and South Carolina a new mecca
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- Why Dawn Staley is women's college basketball's giant — and South Carolina a new mecca
Editor's note: Follow South Carolina vs. Duke women's basketball live updates from their Elite Eight game of March Madness.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has created an environment in which rival teams feel not only challenged but also excited to play against a powerhouse program in a city that has become a mecca of sorts for women's basketball.
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"It's a really special place," Indiana guard Sydney Parrish said ahead of the No. 9 Hoosiers' second-round March Madness game against the Gamecocks . "First of all, it's really hard to win here in Columbia at the height of where women's basketball is right now and where South Carolina basketball is right now."
Under Staley's leadership , South Carolina has won three NCAA championships and is gunning for a fourth. If they win it all this year, the Gamecocks would be the first back-to-back women's NCAA champions since UConn in 2016.
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The Gamecocks are often mentioned alongside programs such as UConn, Tennessee – once led by the iconic Pat Summitt – and Stanford .
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"What Dawn has done over the last six to 10 years is absolutely incredible," said Kim Rosamond, coach of a No. 16 Tennessee Tech team that fell to South Carolina in the first round. "Dawn has now become the torchbearer, so to speak, for the college game. She's doing it as well as anyone in the game today."
Tara VanDerveer's retirement last year after a long and successful career at Stanford left Staley, UConn's Geno Auriemma and LSU 's Kim Mulkey as the most iconic coaches still on the sidelines in March Madness this year.
Dawn Staley's record, impact at South Carolina
What Staley has accomplished with the Gamecocks is nothing short of extraordinary: Three national championships, six Final Fours and more than 450 wins since she took over the program in 2008. In January, South Carolina extended Staley's contract through 2029-30 with a $4 million annual base salary, making her the highest-paid coach in women's basketball.
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"South Carolina has been able to see it was worth it to invest in Dawn Staley – and how she changed this program and the impact she's had on these young women," said Lisa Leslie , a three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic teammate of Staley's who came to Columbia to support her close friend during South Carolina's first-round game Friday against Tennessee Tech.
Staley isn't focused on titles or on debating where South Carolina fits among the pantheon of top programs. She's already confident that her program has cemented its place in history.
"I think we created a legacy already, whether we win this one or not," Staley said. "What we've done over the past eight years won't be done again. If we win another one, it just adds to our legacy in the game."
South Carolina's junior forward Chloe Kitts said Staley herself already belongs in the legacy conversation as well.
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"She has accomplished every goal, so why would she not be in that category?" Kitts asked, referring to coaches like Summitt and VanDerveer.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren compared South Carolina to other powerhouses such as Tennessee, UConn and Stanford.
"You can't talk about those other teams without mentioning South Carolina," Moren said. "They've raised the bar for everybody. It's no longer UConn, it's no longer Tennessee. You can now talk about South Carolina."
Staley's coaching record at Colonial Life Arena, South Carolina's home venue, is 230-35.
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"I think we have a 4% chance of winning," Indiana's Parrish said, somewhat jokingly, about playing South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday.
South Carolina women's basketball fans show out — consistently
The Gamecocks feel the love from their community, with fans showing their appreciation through gifts, cards and constant encouragement.
"We have this one little girl who got her hair braided , and each of her beads has our names on them," South Carolina's senior center Sakima Walker said. "The fans really love us."
All players who come to play in Columbia feel that support and energy.
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"We've been trying to create it in Utah," Utes senior forward Jenna Johnson said before Utah played Indiana in a first-round game in Columbia on Friday. "It's just fun to play in this environment."
Anna Williams is a student in the University of Georgia's Sports Media Certificate program.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Dawn Staley is women's college basketball's 'torchbearer'
