Dawn Staley Talks Challenge Of Playing At LSU, Gameplan For Angel Reese
Last night, we saw an example of the 'Kentucky effect' in men's basketball, where South Carolina's fanbase turned out in more substantial numbers due in part to the notoriety that the Wildcats carry. In women's basketball, it's the Gamecocks who draw large crowds whether they're at home or on the road.
That's what Dawn Staley and her team expect tomorrow night when they play No. 9 LSU in Baton Rouge. Although Carolina is no stranger to hostile environments, their head coach knows that tomorrow night, her players will have to try and prevent the Tigers from riding a momentum wave for most of the game.
"I think it's imperative that we try to keep the crowd [noise] at a minimum," Dawn admitted. "I don't think it would dampen [LSU's] spirits if we got off to a quick start. I think it's going to be a party in there for them and I think they're going to enjoy it. I think [if] we're up, they're going to will their team and put them in a position to come back. If they're up, they're going to make it hard for us to hear and execute, but we've been in that environment before, and we're up for the challenge."
Dawn Staley giving instructions to her players in season-opener Vs. Notre Dame (6th Nov., 2023)
Stephane Mantey | USA Today Network
The biggest individual matchup fans will pay attention to tomorrow night is the battle between Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso and LSU's Angel Reese on the low block. Both are averaging double-doubles for the season and will be expected to impact the game in a positive way for their respective teams, but that doesn't mean that the importance of the rest of the Gamecocks frontcourt will be lessened by any means, according to Dawn.
"That depth is what separates us. I mean, they really do. They all play, you know, a different style of play. They all, they all get their chance at that Angel and Aneesah [Morrow]. So I think it'll be pretty cool that we're able to just continue to do what we've done. We're not going to change no matter who we're guarding or who we're playing. We've got a lot of layers to our bigs, and we'll utilize them to the fullest."
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