Staley on Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley is among the 15 entries on the 2024 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List presented by AXIA Time. She has won the award three of the last four seasons, including the last two.
Staley’s team entered the season with just one player who had started any games in a Gamecock uniform in Raven Johnson’s three career starts. The team’s potential had them ranked No. 6 in the Preseason AP Poll, and their offseason on the court and off it led them to a dominant season-opening win that propelled them back into the No. 1 spot in both national polls. Their offensive and defensive balance have kept the Gamecocks in that position and with a 25-0 record to start the season, making them the first team in SEC history to open back-to-back seasons with that mark. South Carolina leads the nation in field goal percentage defense, scoring margin and blocks per game. It is in the top 10 in assists, field goal percentage, rebounding and rebounding margin, scoring offense and defense and 3-point percentage. The Gamecocks’ six wins against ranked opponents are the most in the country and have come by 17.8 points per game.
The current watch list of 15 coaches will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists on Mar. 14 with four finalists announced on Mar. 25 and the Naismith Coach of the Year will be announced on Apr. 3.
No. 1/1 South Carolina is back in action on Thu., Feb. 22, hosting Alabama at 7 p.m. ET at Colonial Life Arena.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.
2024 Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List
Lisa Bluder, Iowa
Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech
Cori Close, UCLA
Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga
Lindsay Gottlieb, Southern Cal
Felisha Legette-Jack, Syracuse
Kevin McGuff, Ohio State
Jeff Mittie, Kansas State
Wes Moore, NC State
Kim Mulkey, LSU
JR Payne, Colorado
Scott Rueck, Oregon State
Vic Schaefer, Texas
Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Tara VanDerveer, Stanford
