Dawn Staley on South Carolina's Final Four victory over Texas: "We finally played our best"

 Dawn Staley on South Carolina's Final Four victory over Texas: "We finally played our best"

South Carolina's quest to defend its title is still alive, and head coach Dawn Staley couldn’t be more thrilled.

"I’m just happy. We work hard for this. When you've been to a national championship game before, you understand what it takes to get back there," Staley said after No. 1 South Carolina’s dominant 74-57 victory over No. 1 Texas on Friday. "Our players know what’s required, and we were lucky enough to hang in there, persevere, and finally play better—playing our style of basketball."

Heading into Friday's game, the Gamecocks had struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm during the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament. They had scraped by in close games, including a 54-50 win over No. 2 Duke in the Elite Eight and a 71-67 victory over No. 4 Maryland in the Sweet 16. But against Texas, South Carolina’s depth came through in a big way.

Now, the Gamecocks are just one win away from becoming the first team to win back-to-back national championships since UConn’s legendary four-peat from 2013 to 2016. South Carolina will face either No. 1 UCLA or No. 2 UConn in the championship game Sunday. "Sunday sounds good," Staley quipped.

Dawn Staley on South Carolina's Depth

"It’s great. We’ve worked on our depth all season long for moments like this," Staley said, wearing a burgundy Gucci tracksuit matching the Gamecocks’ colors. "Sania Feagin got into foul trouble early, as did Chloe Kitts, so we went deeper into our bench."

Joyce Edwards led the bench with 13 points (4-of-11).

Dawn Staley on Joyce Edwards

South Carolina's bench, which leads the nation in points per game (40.6), had been held to just nine points in the Elite Eight win over Duke. But on Friday, the bench exploded for 31 of South Carolina’s 74 points, with every player on the roster seeing action.

Freshman forward Joyce Edwards, who had struggled during the tournament, had a breakout performance against Texas. After a 22-point debut against Tennessee Tech, Edwards had only managed 15 points over the next three games. But on Friday, she found her rhythm again.

"Hello, Miss Joyce Edwards," Staley said with pride during a postgame interview on ESPN. "It had to feel good for her to see that ball go in. I’m so proud of her defense and passing. She has all the skills. Sometimes, when you're pressing too much, you can’t see things clearly. She slowed down, took a beat, and made the right basketball plays."

A Smile From Staley

Not everything on the sidelines was intense focus. After senior guard Bree Hall hit a 3-pointer to give South Carolina a 41-35 lead early in the third quarter, Hall lost her footing and fell in front of the Gamecocks’ bench. Staley couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

On Thursday, Staley called Hall "in my top five in my 25 years of coaching." Hall has played all four of her seasons at South Carolina under Staley, helping the team win two championships so far.

"She’s definitely underrated as a defender," Staley said. "Our game tends to look at stats, but she may not steal the ball. What she does is make sure the opponent’s top scorer is shooting inefficiently, and that’s her true strength. She’s locked in on defense because she knows her role is crucial to our success."