Dawn Staley’s calculated moves for her team’s lineup resulted in another win before the season even began, reiterating why she is considered one of the greatest coaches in the game. The fresh air seems to have invigorated the South Carolina Gamecocks, who dominated the College of Charleston women’s basketball team in a 91-60 win as USC played its very first outdoor game. While this was an exhibition match, it was still not something Gamecocks’ head coach Dawn Staley took lightly. She made sure to withhold some of her expansive strategy for the season.

Matt Dowell, the sports director at WACH FOX in Columbia, posted a video of Dawn Staley’s media interaction after the exhibition game on X. She elaborated on her clever scheme for the Gamecocks squad before the 2026–27 NCAA Division I women’s basketball season begins in November.

“Obviously, we shrunk our playbook and didn’t want to insert a lot of what we’ve been working on because it was streamed, and we don’t want to help our first opponents prepare for our team,” said Staley according to the X post.  

Dawn Staley simplified the offense for the game at TheLinkU Invitational Tournament. But despite not playing some of her seniors, the Gamecocks came away with the win. Forward Joyce Edwards, who is in her junior season, led the charge for the Gamecocks. She logged 28 points and 16 rebounds, while adding two blocks and two assists. She was joined by junior guard Jordan Lee, who logged 15 points, going 100% from three-point range. This was her first game for the Gamecocks since she transferred after two seasons with the Texas Longhorns. 

But the second-highest scorer on the team was Tessa Johnson, who has been with the team since 2023. She logged 23 points to help push the Gamecocks to victory. But South Carolina did not get the smooth victory Dawn Staley or the squad would have hoped for. 

The Charleston Cougars took an early lead in the first quarter, leading by one point as the score reached 20-19. But the veteran presence of Johnson and Edwards stopped their momentum, as the pair shot efficiently, making 10 of 12 shots. Rallying behind the two, the Gamecocks were able to get a 44-28 lead going into halftime. South Carolina was able to hold on to that momentum, as they overwhelmed the Cougars in the second half, clinching victory in this unofficial start to their season.

Dawn Staley expressed her appreciation for the veteran pairing after the game, per the post by Dowell.

“I thought they just did a good job of being disciplined. And if we can apply discipline to any part of our game plan, we’re going to be better because of it. So I like that part of it. I mean, I like the fact that Tessa’s aggressive. We like Jordy [Jordan Lee] to be, probably even, she’s made four threes, even a little bit more aggressive,” Dawn Staley added.

While the young core of the Gamecocks performed well, the best-known faces on the team- Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins – were not seen on court. 

Why Did Dawn Staley Not Play Senior Veterans Against Charleston?

The Gamecocks’ outdoor debut took place at TheLinkU Invitational, an event held at the Credit One Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.

While this did provide an opportunity to test the waters of what the NCAA regular season would look like, Dawn Staley did not play Chloe Kitts or Ashlyn Watkins. Both the seniors are still dealing with injuries that require adequate rest if they are to join the team when the regular season begins.

Kitts tore her ACL during a practice session in October last year, causing her to miss the entire 2025-26 season. While she is expected to rejoin the team this season, Dawn Staley did not want to risk her playing this early. The same goes for Watkins, who ruptured her ACL in January 2025, during a win over Mississippi State. She missed the remainder of the season as well. 

Dawn Staley addressed the Gamecocks’ lineup against Charleston according to a report by Greenville News.

“We probably played some funky lineups that we wouldn’t play,” Staley said. “We don’t harp on who we don’t have. We play who we have to play and worry about getting them healthy on another day … I think the next time we take the floor, hopefully we’ll have a little bit more healthy bodies to see who we can be.” 

The South Carolina Gamecocks and Dawn Staley will now look forward to the NCAA Division I women’s basketball season beginning in November, as they are still one of the top-seeded teams going into the season. They are joined near the top by the UConn Huskies, the Texas Longhorns, and the LSU Tigers, all of whom will be hoping to clinch another NCAA title this season.