Following South Carolina’s overtime loss to Oklahoma, Head Coach Dawn Staley offered a blunt and complimentary assessment of Sooners freshman Aaliyah Chavez. Despite the stinging defeat, Staley credited Chavez for her poise and command of the game, acknowledging that the young guard executed her role perfectly against the Gamecocks’ defense.
“Yeah, she was great. She ran our team, did big shots, delivered the ball, everything that you want a point guard to do,” Staley said.
Staley did not shy away from the reality of her own team’s performance, admitting that South Carolina simply failed to execute in critical moments. She emphasized that in their conference, especially during away games, lapses in effort or focus result in immediate consequences. Rather than blaming luck, she accepted the loss as the direct price of their performance. She added:…