Dawn Staley and Vic Schaefer know each other’s teams well by now. But what will be the difference in the end? How will each team tweak its strategy from previous matchups, if at all? And who needs to carry the load for either side to punch its ticket into Sunday’s national championship game?
asked opposing coaches who have faced South Carolina or Texas this season (and some, who have faced both) for their insight, granting them anonymity so they could speak with candor.
The big question: Will there be a big changeup in either’s game plan as they go at it in Part IV?
“I don’t think either one of them can surprise the other with a scheme,” said one coach. “And I just don’t think that’s who they are. Yeah, I think that game is going to come down to who is the best version of themselves.”
A second coach disagreed: “Vic will do something. He’ll make some sort of defensive adjustment. Dawn won’t — this is how we play, and we’re 100 percent about execution on both ends. She’s not going to change. She’s just not. And I have so much respect for that. … Vic will look at his film and see that South Carolina has success in one area or another, and he’ll try and make a slight adjustment. But you can’t reinvent the wheel. … South Carolina is gonna be South Carolina.”
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Scouting South Carolina
Strengths: Depth, experience, transition game
Interestingly, one of the biggest challenges in facing South Carolina, according to some coaches who faced the Gamecocks this season, can also be a downfall for opponents. No, South Carolina doesn’t have an individual player who can be consistently relied upon to make the clutch shot. Rather, the program has a true committee of excellent players who can make plays when called upon. The Gamecocks’ 40.6 bench points per game lead the country and give Staley’s crew a notable advantage over the Longhorns, who average 26.6.
“South Carolina, I think, is the most athletic team in there. And they might be the most balanced,” said one coach.
Added another: “There were points in the season where it was like, you literally couldn’t double anybody. They can all score.”
Indeed, the Gamecocks have three players scoring double figures, starting with true freshman forward Joyce Edwards, who averages 12.7 points per game and shoots 54.1 percent. Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley averages 11.9 PPG, and junior forward Chloe Kitts — playing some of her best basketball down the stretch — comes in next at 10.4 PPG. South Carolina has more depth than anyone in the country.
Then, there’s the experience factor. The Gamecocks have won national championships in two of the past three seasons and are playing in their fifth consecutive Final ...
