Dawn Staley Sent South Carolina Team Blunt Halftime Message Via Simple Symbol
The No. 2 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team improved to 11-1 in the 2024-25 season after defeating Charleston Southern by a score of 82-46 on Thursday.
Despite what this dominant final score may suggest, the game wasn't smooth sailing for South Carolina; especially in the first half, as Dawn Staley's team was losing 15-11 after the first quarter and only led by 8 points heading into halftime.
The Gamecocks looked like a new team in the second half — which may be the result of the simple message Staley delivered to her team in the locker room.
When asked about Staley's halftime message when speaking with the media after the game, Gamecocks freshman Joyce Edwards (who scored a career-high 20 points in the win) said, "She walked in, and she put a question mark on the [white] board," per South Carolina's YouTube account.
Joyce Edwards on Dawn Staley's halftime speech today:
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) December 19, 2024
"She walked in... and she put a question mark on the board."
Maddy McDaniel added: "She's a player's coach so she understands where we're coming from."@GamecockWBB | @wachfox pic.twitter.com/CfIGL0h2as
Staley was then asked about this question mark message postgame.
"I'm not gonna blow my top. I understand where they are and this type of game," she said. "I'm not making excuses for them.
"I mean, the question mark is [that] they leave you with a lot of questions," Staley continued. "They force us to question their ability to lock in and be disciplined. They force us to have questions about who should play, who shouldn't play, all of these things. And it's just teaching moments."
Dawn Staley on her halftime speech today:
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) December 19, 2024
"I said a lot, but I mean I'm not gonna blow my top. I understand where they are in this type of game. I'm not making excuses for 'em, but when you know you know."@GamecockWBB | @wachfox pic.twitter.com/IjFwnNczXE
Staley will have 10 days to ponder these questions about her team, as the Gamecocks' next game isn't until December 29.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.