What does a 3x NCAA women’s basketball champion do when her No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks roster shrinks to eight available players? Dawn Staley answered that question with her three-word mantra: “Next woman up.”

Despite a badly hampered roster, however, the Gamecocks steamrolled past the Penn State Lady Lions 95-55 on December 14, extending their record to 10-1. But the scoreline only told half the story. Key names like Madina Okot and Agot Makeer, who warmed up with the team, watched from the bench in street clothes.

Okot, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, averaging 14.8 points and 11.1 rebounds with seven double-doubles, has been battling illness. Makeer has been in concussion protocol for more than a week. Add Chloe Kitts’ season-ending ACL tear from October, and Ashlyn Watkins’ year-long leave of absence, and the Gamecocks are left to operate with a skeleton crew. Yet Staley sees opportunity where others might see crisis.

“I think the positive is mentally they go into games knowing that they’re going to play a whole lot of minutes,” Staley said post-game, in a video shared on X by reporter Matt Dowell. “And they haven’t conserved, like they have been conserved defensively. They’re surely not gonna conserve offensively.”

That phrase, next woman up, has become the defining theme of the Gamecocks’ season. Players know they’ll play heavy minutes. They know mistakes won’t get them benched. They know the margin for error is thin and the opportunity for growth is massive.

“If we can add another player to the mix, and then in a day or two on the next game, it’d be great,” Staley continued, spreading optimism in the room. “But I want us to always feel like we’ve got a chance. We’ve got enough in the room to win, no matter what the stakes are.”

This isn’t the first time Staley has delivered that message, though. She has been persistent with her approach.

Even ahead of the Penn State game, she framed the situation in similar terms…

“I only see what’s in front of us,” Staley said, refusing to speculate about any outcome. “So we had eight today. I only see eight. We got reduced to seven, I only see seven… whoever’s healthy, let us know who’s healthy, and then we can take it from there.”

The consistency matters. Staley’s words aren’t reactive. They’re foundational.

Dawn Staley plows through the Lady Lions, despite the Gamecocks’ championship culture facing its toughest test

The Gamecocks have had all 10 players available to start just four games this season. They finished with all 10 just three times. Against North Carolina Central on December 7, they ended the game with seven, the fewest of the campaign.

Past championship runs under Staley tell a different story. The 2017, 2022, and 2024 title teams benefited from relative health. The perfect 38-0 season in 2024 thrived on depth and flexibility in the rotation. This year’s adversity is testing the program’s identity in ways previous squads never faced.

But that identity was built for moments like this. Staley has spent nearly two decades in Columbia constructing a culture where belief doesn’t waver based on circumstance.

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The Gamecocks used reserves Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda to take care of Lady Lions’ top scorer Gracie Merkle. Merkle, who came into this game averaging north of 22 points a game, finished last night with nine points and nine rebounds before fouling out.

Staley’s bench had 16 points, with Maddy McDaniel scoring nine. The coach acknowledged all three stars and continued to look on the bright side.

“I think it’s good that Madina didn’t play and they can build some confidence, definitely, defensively,” Staley said. “Offensively, we’ll get them going a little bit.”

The biggest issue for the Gamecocks, though, was rebounding in Okot’s absence. The visitors out-rebounded Staley’s team 51-43. Although the Lady Lions had more offensive boards, 22-13, the Gamecocks had no issue scoring in the paint. They outscored Penn State 60-24 in the paint.

The Gamecocks’ next four games are as follows, with no matchup at home until after Christmas.

• Thursday, December 18 @ South Florida
• Saturday, December 20 @ Florida Gulf Coast
• Sunday, December 28 vs Providence
• Thursday, January 1 vs Alabama

Okot and Makeer remain day-to-day, and the rotation remains thin until any further update.

One thing is for sure, though, the belief remains intact.