Dawn Staley schemes the downfalls of opposing teams all alone, but when she managed to beat LSU recently, she had an unexpected WNBA coach to thank.

Their latest victims are Kim Mulkey’s LSU, who fell marginally short (83-77) against the Gamecocks for the second time in a row. While Staley will have Raven Johnson (22 pts and 8 assists) to thank for leading the pack effectively, Dawn also mentioned a certain WNBA connection that helped her finalize her strategy.

“The Atlanta Dreams coach Karl is really into analytics, and he said if you can get 1% better. If you can make one more three in 25 attempts, you’re going to increase your shooting percentage. And I asked him, I said, “Okay, can you give me some tips about shooting that I can share with my team’. He gave me that, and then he said, “If you can get your team to shoot within this space here (pointing straight at the basket), you’re going to get better,” and I just shared it with my team,” went on Staley.

Karl Smesko’s advice was simple. He pointed out how incremental improvement, even if it’s a small gain, can swing outcomes in your favor. The way Smesko broke down the efficiency in measurable terms gave Staley an understanding of how marginal gains added up.

Staley conveyed this valuable piece of information to her team. Raven Johnson, Madina Okot, and Tessa Johnson all shot 3s way into the 40% mark, and Smesko’s advice may have had a thing or two to do with it.

Whatever the case may be, the Gamecocks now look like they are pretty much en route to winning the SEC tournament after this semifinal win against the Tigers. Staley also faced off against a familiar face in the LSU game that must have brought back memories.

Staley Shares Her Views On Her Former Student MiLaysia Fulwiley

The game in South Carolina also meant a reunion between Dawn Staley and her former player, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley. Although it wasn’t the result Fulwiley had envisioned as her team lost the game, her performance at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena was worth appreciating.

With 24 pts and 4 assists, Fulwiley was the leading scorer for her team, but she did not get much support from her peers, which would have helped her team get the job done. But Staley had a hunch that MiLaysia would have a game to remember.

“I kinda knew she was gonna have a good game. I still think MiLaysia is a generational talent. She does things out there on the floor that I haven’t seen a whole lot of female basketball players do, and I’m generally happy for her. She’s actually doing some of the things that we talked about her doing. I’m happy for her. She played two years for us, and we’re always gonna be happy. We’ll always consider her a Gamecock no matter what uniform she puts on,” said  Staley.

Fulwiley might have left South Carolina because of a difference in opinions with the South Carolina coach, but that didn’t seem to bother Staley, who was proud of what she saw. Her admiration for Fulwiley and her talent will never diminish with time, and that was evident.