Posted by Mechelle Voepel
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- When South Carolina coach Dawn Staley looked around at the 16,000-plus fans who were in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday, she didn't reflect back so much on what used to be. Instead, she thought about what might be someday.
"Seeing how many people were here, with NFL playoff games going on, and they're right here," Staley said of her team's 68-56 loss to Tennessee. "This is something every program would like to mirror, including us."
AP Photo/Brett Flashnick
Dawn Staley found success at Temple. Now, she's trying to turn South Carolina into a consistent contender in the SEC.
One of Staley's assistant coaches asked her if she thought South Carolina would ever have so many people at a home game.
"I believe one day," Staley said. "Winning will help; bringing in great players will help. I don't think Tennessee was Tennessee before they won as many national championships as they have."
One of those championships, of course, came at the expense of Staley when she was a player at Virginia. Tennessee beat the Cavaliers in overtime of the 1991 NCAA title game. That was the year Staley became the only Most Outstanding Player from a Women's Final Four to come from a losing team.
What Tennessee coach Pat Summitt most remembers about facing Staley at Virginia, though, is the year before. Virginia upset Tennessee in the 1990 East Regional final, preventing the host school from playing in that year's Final Four here in Knoxville.
"I do have quite the memory about Dawn Staley," Summitt said. "We were in [that 1990] regional championship game, and we didn't have an answer for her. And we lost.
"We didn't get to come back and play for a national championship at Thompson-Boling Arena. So when I see her, I have to get over that."
Summitt smiled as she said that, but you can tell it still bugs her, despite now having eight NCAA titles. Meanwhile, Staley said that the 1990 East Regional win over Tennessee actually stands in her mind as the closest Virginia got to an NCAA title.
"That's the only thing we can equate to a national championship, because we never won," Staley said. "I've got two former Volunteers on my staff, and they bring it up more than I do."
Those former Tennessee players are Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee, who are helping Staley try to turn South Carolina into a consistent contender in the SEC. The Gamecocks are now 8-9 overall and 0-4 in league play, and Staley wasn't much into any talk about at least being "close" to Tennessee on Sunday.
It's not good enough for Staley, who had success at Temple before taking on this challenge. Tennessee has now won 36 in a row against South Carolina; the Gamecocks' only win in this series came in 1980 in Columbia.
Asked what it will take for her program to start doing the things it needs to get over the hump in her first season in the SEC, Staley joked, "A couple of players off Tennessee's bench."
But it really wasn't so much of a joke.
"It boils down to just players," Staley said. "Players build tradition; players win championships for you. We do have some talent at South Carolina; we just don't have enough yet. We're in a position where we're fighting for our identity and to start a tradition at South Carolina. It will happen."
Summitt believes that, too.
"Just watching Dawn as a player, she was such a fierce competitor," Summitt said. "She was a leader. I was excited when she came to South Carolina, just because having her in our league will make us better. Because she's a great coach and teacher. She's going to do great things there."
Women's Basketball
