Staley Named USBWA Coach of the Year

COLUMBIA, SC – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley is the 2022-23 USBWA Coach of the Year, the USA Basketball Writers Association announced today. This is the second season and third in the past four years that Staley has picked up the award.

Staley has led this Gamecock team to a 34-0 record and two SEC Regular-Season and Tournament championships. South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in both national polls every week of the season, only the third program to do so. The current 38-week program opened at No. in the AP Poll is the second longest streak in the history of polls. The Gamecocks’ seven wins are against the nation’s fourth-ranked opponent this season and their 13 road wins are the most in the country. Seven different Gamecocks have led the team in scoring at least once, including five who came off the bench to do so. South Carolina is back in the NCAA Sweet 16 for the ninth straight time and 10th overall under Staley. The Gamecocks advanced with a win Sunday over No. rv / 24 South Florida, which Staley 400th in South Carolina.

South Carolina has thrived this season thanks to another strong defensive team, which leads the nation in scoring defense (50.6 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.312), and a high-powered offense that ranks sixth in the nation in score (81.0 ppg). ) and 11th in field goal percentage (.467). The Gamecocks are the nation’s top blocking team at 9.1 per game and rank 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio.

South Carolina advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 and will face No. 14/15 UCLA at 2 pm ET on Sat., March 25, at Greenville, SC’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the latest information on the women’s basketball season.