COLUMBIA, S.C. — Just a few weeks before South Carolina began its campaign to defend its national title, fifth-year senior Te-Hina Paopao laughed and joked with teammates on the sideline during practice as coach Dawn Staley stood nearby and rattled off feedback to players conducting a full-court drill.
Staley either didn’t notice or didn’t mind Paopao that October Monday (but given that it’s Staley, it’s fair to assume it’s not the former). A year ago, Staley would’ve characterized it as Paopao’s being unfocused. The constant chatter would have felt like disrespect to the game and that she was allowing distractions to enter this sacred space. But today, Staley doesn’t see it that way at all. Instead, she understands it as a necessary piece of what this team needs and more importantly, how she needed to adjust for her players. It’s now part of how they win games, even if it wasn’t how she won games in the past.
That ability to adapt might be Staley’s greatest asset as the No. 1 Gamecocks, who are on a 40-game winning streak, return most of last season’s roster and embark on a season in which they could become the first program to repeat as national champions since UConn won four straight from 2013 to 2016.
Dawn Staley after @GamecockWBB’s win over NC…
