Staley Named USBWA Coach of the Year
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley is the 2022-23 USBWA Coach of the Year, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced today. It is the second-straight season and the third time in the last four years that Staley has picked up the honor.
Staley has led this Gamecock team to a 34-0 record and both the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament championships. South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in both national polls every week of the season, just the third program to do that. The program’s current 38-week run at No. 1 in the AP Poll is the second-longest streak in the history of that poll. The Gamecocks’ seven wins over ranked opponents are the fourth-most in the country this season and their 13 road wins are tied for the most in the nation. Seven different Gamecocks have led the team in scoring at least once, including five who came off the bench to do it. South Carolina is back in the NCAA Sweet 16 for the ninth-straight time and 10th total under Staley. The Gamecocks advanced with Sunday’s win over No. rv/24 South Florida, which was Staley’s 400th at South Carolina.
South Carolina has thrived this season thanks to another strong defensive team, leading the nation in scoring defense (50.6 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.312), and a high-powered offense that ranks sixth in the country in scoring (81.0 ppg) and 11th in field goal percentage (.467). The Gamecocks are the nation’s top shot-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 p.m. ET on Sat., March 25, in Greenville, S.C.’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on the women’s basketball season.
