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Staley Among 15 on Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List
Women's Basketball  . 

Staley Among 15 on Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 1/1 South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley is one of 15 named to the Late Season Watch List for the 2023 Werner Ladder Women’s Coach of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Staley has won the award twice before, including last season.

This season, Staley has led possibly the deepest team of her career to the No. 1 ranking every week, moving the program into third place all-time with 34-straight weeks atop the AP Poll. Her Gamecocks have committed to the program’s culture of embracing team goals first and understanding that individual attention will come from that. Three of the Gamecocks’ top five scorers come off the bench, and that reserve group averages 39.6 points per game to account for 48.0 percent of the team’s total offense.

South Carolina’s success continues to be built on rebounding and defense, and they are among the nation’s best in both categories again this season. The Gamecocks lead the nation in rebounding margin (+21.4) and are second in rebounds per game (50.1) and offensive rebounds per game (18.4). They are also atop the national rankings in scoring defense (49.0), field goal percentage defense (.304) and blocked shots per game (9.5). The Gamecocks have shined offensively this season as well, ranking seventh in the country in scoring (82.5) and 10th in field goal percentage (.472).

The Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year candidates will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists in early March, and four finalists will be named on March 20. The winner of the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year will be announced on March 29.

No. 1/1 South Carolina is back at home on Thu., Feb. 16, hosting Florida in a 7 p.m. tipoff at Colonial Life Arena. The game will stream live on SEC Network+.

Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the 2022-23 season ahead.

2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List
Geno Auriemma, UConn
Lisa Bluder, Iowa
Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech
Denise Dillon, Villanova
Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga
Shauna Green, Illinois
Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
Kara Lawson, Duke
Kevin McGuff, Ohio State
Teri Moren, Indiana
Kim Mulkey, LSU
JR Payne, Colorado
Lynne Roberts, Utah
Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Tara VanDerveer, Stanford