The clock was winding down in the first quarter, and Missouri looked helpless against South Carolina. Dawn Staley’s team had dominated upto that point, with the scoreline reading 31-13. To add salt to the wounds, Maddy McDaniel stole the ball from Saniah Tyler in the final play of the quarter and was on her way to an easy transition bucket. However, Tyler wasn’t having it. She knocked McDaniel down and it was immediately called as a flagrant foul. 

Naturally chaos ensued. First, Maryam Dauda made the two free throws for McDaniel. Then, the Colonial Life Arena crowd booed every time Saniah Taylor was on the ball. “She lost her composure for that moment, and that’s not who we are,” Missouri coach Kellie Harper said after the game. “And she is one of the sweetest kids to ever be around. She is just a wonderful person, and so I hate that she lost it and hate that she did that. That’s not what we want to be; we apologize to South Carolina for that. That’s not a good play. It’s not a good look, particularly for somebody of that character.” 

And Dawn Staley isn’t one to keep grudges either. She, in fact, opined that the crowd should have stopped booing after a point.  “After a while I was—I wanted to say this: let’s not. But I mean, it’s a part of the game, really; it’s part of the game,” Staley said ahead of their Kentucky game. “And we did get an apology from Coach Harper; we got an apology. And I told Maddy that she sent an apology and we’re just happy that nobody got hurt and we’re able to continue to play.”

The boos certainly had some impact on the game, as Tyler finished with just 2 points, shooting 1-5 from the field and 0-3 from the three-point line. Maddy McDaniel herself received an apology from Tyler when the game was almost finished. “Saniah Tyler went up to Maddie McDaniel, shook her hand, and said, ‘I’m sorry about the foul. Fans have been booing the young lady all night. Great class there by Saniah Tyler,” the broadcaster announced on air. As the dust settled on the heated moment, Staley shifted the conversation toward internal growth. More particularly the progress of midseason addition Alicia Tournebize.

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Dawn Staley Announces Clear Demand From Alicia Tournebize

Alicia Tournebize has impressed since arriving at the Gamecocks. She is averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds while providing some size from the bench. Against Missouri the other day, she had a career-high 5 rebounds along with 3 points and a block. Nevertheless, Dawn Staley still asks for improvement from the youngster as they head to March. 

“We need her to rebound,” Staley said. “I think she’s still adjusting because it’s so very physical. She’s getting her hands on the ball, because I do think people are boxing her out and putting their body on her. So she’s trying to rebound out of her area. I think that’s the leap that could probably get a lot better sooner, because rebounding is less about a skill and more about a want and a decision that you will do it. I think she’s just getting more acclimated to things.”

Considering her size (6’7″), she could be doing more. According to Barttorvik, Tournebize grabs 9.8% of her offensive rebounds, which ranks fifth on the team and just 11.8% of her defensive rebounds. Her impact on the court has been minimal, as Tournebize’s box plus/minus currently stands last in the team at 3.4. There is room for improvement but she has barely been in the country for 2 months. After she settles in, the rough edges will smooth out.