The South Carolina Gamecocks were handed a humbling 82-59 defeat by UConn in the NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship, marking a significant setback for a team that had been dominant in recent years. Despite their incredible success over the past two seasons, the Gamecocks were unable to match the Huskies’ level of play, resulting in South Carolina’s first-ever loss in a national championship game, having previously been undefeated in the final with a 3-0 record.

After the game, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley expressed her hope that this loss would serve as a wake-up call for her team, motivating them to come back stronger next season. “I hope they’re crying,” Staley said when asked what she wanted her younger players to take away from the defeat. “I hope they’re boo-hoo’ing, because from crying and having emotion about losing makes you work a little bit harder in the offseason, makes you look at it and really analyze what’s the separation from their program and our program, and how we close the gap to that. They’re very talented, and I think they got a great experience of playing at this level that I hope they have a desire to get back here and do all the things that it takes to play in the national championship game and then deliver the blows as needed to win.”

Reflecting on the past, Staley noted that the last time South Carolina fell short in the postseason, losing to LSU in the 2023 NCAA Final Four, they came back the following year undefeated, clinching the national championship. She is confident her team will bounce back again.

As for the seniors who won’t be returning next season, Staley offered words of praise and encouragement. “They’re the winningest class over this four-year period,” Staley said. “There’s nothing to hang their heads about and I made sure I told them that because basketball, if you play it long enough, you’re gonna have some heartbreaks… We’ve been very fortunate to have a senior class that was as giving to themselves, to our program, to the game.”