Wanna know what it sounds like inside Dawn Staley’s head? “I meet them where they are and then, hopefully, I can take them where they want to go.” And make no mistake, she has achieved that. Sunday’s two games that tipped off at the same time in different arenas – Sky vs. Dream & Fever vs. Aces – brought her bags full of pride. Kamilla Cardoso suited up for Chicago and went head-to-head with Atlanta’s Te-Hina Paopao and Allisha Gray. Meanwhile, A’ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston were fighting it out to see who would lead.

All former Gamecocks, all thriving. So, just because Staley got them there doesn’t mean she’s let them go. Her ties with them are as strong as ever. Boston calls her “second mom” for a reason after all. So, it is understandable why Staley was so hyped that she couldn’t hold herself back from tweeting while the games were still unfolding. “Split screening @WNBA games today! @GamecockWBB on @GamecockWBB crime in full effect! 🥰🥰🥰,” she posted, and that said it all.

And frankly, they deserve all of that cheering for making her proud. “With her fourth three-pointer of the game, Allisha Gray moves into fourth place on the Dream’s all-time list for three-pointers made—surpassing Renee Montgomery,” that’s what the public relations page of the Atlanta Dream posted.

So, Staley tapped again on X’s “What’s happening” as soon as the games wrapped up and let everyone know. “Did yall see all the @GamecockWBB won today! @aa_boston lead us with 26pts/10rebs! @_ajawilson22 24pts/7rebs. @tehinapaopaoo 16pts (5 3s) @Graytness_15 19pts (5 3s) @Kamillascsilva 7pts/5rebs! @WNBA is in a great place!!” she wrote, and isn’t that the sweetest way to put it down?

Going back to the days at South Carolina, A’ja Wilson’s dominance left no doubt – No. 22 was destined for immortality. Her impact was so incomparable, it prompted Coach Dawn Staley to push for an early jersey retirement. That didn’t happen right away, but something arguably even bigger did. “If we couldn’t retire her jersey, what better way than to put a statue out in front,” Staley said, and SC now has Wilson’s statue placed at the intersection of Senate Street and Lincoln Street. On this Sunday against Caitlin Clark, she reminded everyone why. In the Aces’ win against the Fever, A’ja dropped 24 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and added 2 assists in 34 minutes. While there were areas where she struggled, she still commanded the floor with the same dominance she once brought to Columbia.

But even on the losing end, a winner emerged. It was Aaliyah Boston. The 2023 first-overall pick goes by the coach’s words. “Don’t be afraid to use your voice… I know you have the confidence,” Staley once told her. And after that, there was no looking back for her. Not even on Sunday, as the Fever lost. Because Boston kept up her part just fine. She led all scorers with 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists in 33 minutes. No player on either side matched that stat line. Not even sensational Caitlin Clark, who went just 1-of-10 from the 3-point range and 7-of-20 from the field.

Regardless, what a day for South Carolina, for Dawn Staley, for the WNBA. Most of all, for the players, proving the pipeline is thriving exactly as planned.

Dawn Staley on Caitlin Clark

Dawn Staley, one of the most respected voices in women’s basketball, just dropped some real talk about Caitlin Clark, and people are paying attention. She made an appearance on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast. Over there, the South Carolina coach, who has both beaten and lost to Clark in high-stakes college games, made it clear that she has major respect for the Fever rookie.

“She’s quite incredible, quite an anomaly when it comes to how many eyeballs she’s bringing on the game,” Staley said. But she also kept it real about the flip side of that fame. “And the newness of those eyeballs — they only want her to do well. Only want you to speak very highly of her. Only, you know, want you to agree with what they agree with. And that’s kind of hard.” It was a sharp observation from her side. In a sport that is built on honest analysis, that behavior doesn’t have a place.

That said, Staley didn’t hold back on giving Clark her flowers either. Especially for the parts of her game that don’t always go viral. “For me, the most dangerous thing of Caitlin Clark is her passing ability,” she said. “Her ability to make other people better, and her ability to have other people’s production along with her production. That’s how you win.”

While most fans obsess over Clark’s logo threes, experts like Staley like to zero in on her next-level playmaking and basketball IQ. She kept it balanced and gave genuine praise without ignoring the bigger picture.