The South Carolina Gamecocks were lethal and determined to win the game against the UConn Huskies. The defending champions were once again favorites for the title, but the South Carolina side showed why they are still a challenge in the NCAAW tournaments. While Coach Dawn Staley is proud of her team and players, she didn’t forget to mention Caitlin Clark, who fueled her pursuit of top-level performances.
Interestingly, the Gamecocks’ senior guard Raven Johnson, who earlier mentioned a viral moment with Clark, said it motivated her to do better on the floor, and now coach Staley recalls a game that fueled her passion.
Loss To Caitlin Clark Charged Up Dawn Staley
Losses sometimes might be a push for a player to do better in the next game, which was Raven Johnson’s case. Dawn Staley also used the loss against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 Final Four to remind herself to stay on the mark for every game.
During the post-game interview, Staley said, “I’m haunted by that particular Final Four because of the players that we had and the season that we were having, and it got upended, and I never got a chance to coach the freshies anymore. We won it the following year, but that particular group was pretty special.”
She added, “For me, if we ever get the opportunity to be in that position again, which we were today, we’re going to lay it on the line, okay? We’re going to lay it on the line, try to figure out ways in which to win the game, and I thought our kids locked in today.”
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The connection was obviously beating the undefeated side in the clutch moment, and after a 62-48 win over the Huskies, coach Staley might have got some peace. Her former champion, Aliyah Boston, also felt same way and is now a teammate of CC.
One player who also held grudges was Aliyah Boston, who famously mentioned that she didn’t like Clark joining the Indiana Fever team.
Aliyah Boston Hated Caitlin Clark For Her 2023 Final Four
The 2023 Rookie of the Year Winner had a tough season with the fever team and even recalled about crying on the team bus following a number of losses. Yet she was not happy to see her ‘rival’ entering the franchise and becoming her teammate.
“I was like, hey, I just want to say, I’m like really upset that you did what you did in that Final Four game. Because we are teammates, but I’m like, you didn’t have to do all that. Like you did not have to go for 40 on our dome. Like girl, we could have just had fun,” Boston said.
“But after that, it was cool because obviously now we’re on the same team, so you don’t worry about that. But I always thought it was funny because I’m like, we just went from competing against each other, you beating us, and now we’re on the same team. It’s like, I was like, girl, it’s OK. I get it. I’m not mad at you for real, but I am,” she concluded on her relationship with CC.
Eventually the duo struck great chemistry and are pillars of the Fever team at the moment. She even recently lauded the playmaker’s clutch game-winner for the national team.