Dawn Staley’s South Carolina walked into the Tennessee game already running on fumes. With just three available players on the bench because of multiple injuries, the Gamecocks knew this one would be tiring. They knew it would be tough. But did any of that show on the scoreboard? Not even a little. With the SEC’s top spot on the line, South Carolina handed the Lady Vols the worst loss in program history, a stunning 93–50 statement.

And it all came down to how Staley handled adversity… even if her approach might sound a bit extreme.

When asked about her mindset and game plan to extend her team’s dominance with a limited bench strength, Staley said, “Well, we don’t speak about the injured. If this happens, or she could play, or that player could play, we don’t….we actually, quite frankly, we consider them dead. We do, like it’s not part of the game plan. They’re unhealthy,” the Gamecocks coach added further.

Yesterday, Staley missed three players of her squad against the Lady Vols.

This was supposed to be the game where the Gamecocks finally entered at their healthiest in weeks. Instead, Maddy McDaniel became the latest addition to this unwanted list that just won’t seem to shrink for Dawn Staley and South Carolina. Freshman guard Akot Makeer has been out since January with a lower leg injury, Chloe Kitts is out for the season due to an ACL tear, and Ashlyn Watkins is taking this year off.

“So, we just go with who is available, and that’s the mentality we need to have, because we don’t need to sulk on who’s not here,” the head coach stated. “Whoever’s available is the next woman up, and that’s the way we practice, if we got eight, nine. It might be shorter practices, but that’s the way we handle it.”

The last line of her statement catches the mentality that her team has been playing with on the court. She isn’t hesitant to go with a three-player bench against Kim Caldwell’s Tennessee, one of the top five teams in SEC play, as her five starters give her the leverage to take charge of the game on her own.

Particularly with Ta’Niya Latson returning to the court after missing a prolonged stretch of games in December and January, the South Carolina offense is looking quite balanced.  It was quite prevalent in the Lady Vols’ game on Saturday, where all five starters put up 10+ points.

Latson and Edwards led the charge for the Gamecocks, combining for 41 points. The shooting was precise, with South Carolina scoring 36-52 from open play and 5-10 from the perimeter to expose Tennessee’s shaky defense, especially in the first and third quarters of the game.

Getting past Tennessee with limited rotations and an inexperienced bench is indeed an impressive display. And that performance naturally leads to a bigger takeaway.

Dawn Staley Emphasizes Why Her Team Is Still Formidable

While the injuries keep on scarring South Carolina, it hasn’t been able to shake Dawn Staley’s team from the top of SEC play.

The Gamecocks are 24-2 and 10-1 in the season for now, and are also third in the NET rankings, making them one of the favorites for the National Championships. And Staley’s recent two-way take on the team’s adjustments has shed light on the Gamecocks’ continued dominance.

“I think they’ll (other teams) have to prepare for it all,” Staley said. “Like they have to prepare for our man defense. They’ll have to prepare for our zone now, and our 3-4 er court staff. I think that our injuries have probably made us steal in some moments.”

In the 2025-26 season, Staley has used a combination of defensive schemes depending on their opponents. For instance, in the Tennessee game, Staley’s team used a 2-2-1 zone defense to create more pressure on the Lady Vols’ forwards. Such mix-ups help the South Carolina Gamecocks dominate in the paint with a fast offense and prevent opponents from lining them up.

All in all, the conclusions can be drawn that defense has been the major reason behind South Carolina’s success. For now, the team ranks 16th in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 55.9 points per game. Holding a team like Tennessee to just 50 points, including only 18 points in the final two quarters, is an example of their elite backcourt.

However, their next opponent, LSU, is averaging 97.4 points per game, which immediately raises concern for the Gamecocks, especially given their limited strength. Moreover, ESPN analysts have given LSU a 53.8% chance of winning the game. But Dawn Staley’s team is not an underdog either, and it will eventually come down to South Carolina’s offense against LSU’s.

We will find out who prevails in this top-tier SEC matchup on Feb 14. Till then, let us know who you are rooting for in the game.