TAMPA, Fla. — As soon as once more, South Carolina is taking part in in a nationwide championship sport. And as soon as once more, head coach Daybreak Staley is fielding questions in regards to the impending legacy of an opposing star’s elusive title whereas her program chases its personal historical past.
“I am unable to not deal with it as a result of it is occurring,” Staley mentioned on Saturday. “It occurred to us final yr. All the things was about Caitlin Clark and her legacy and her potential to win a nationwide championship. But, we had been coming into this factor undefeated, doing one thing that is unprecedented on the time, as a result of it is laborious. It is laborious. We discover ourselves again right here in the same state of affairs.”
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The nationwide title sport on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) shall be UConn guard Paige Bueckers’ ultimate collegiate sport earlier than coming into the WNBA Draft, the place she’s projected to go No. 1 to the Dallas Wings, in addition to the fruits of a traditionally profitable South Carolina class. The push-and-pull of dueling legacies provides a elevate to the rising rivalry.
Bueckers, the previous No. 1 recruit and “generational expertise” popping out of highschool, imagined 4 titles in 4 years, matching Huskies nice Breanna Stewart. As a substitute, accidents marred her and UConn’s half-decade to depart 40 minutes between her and one single ring. It could be this system’s first since Stewart’s run resulted in 2016.
“There is a sentimental narrative about Paige,” Staley mentioned. “An ideal freakin’ participant. Anyone would begin their franchise with Paige due to her environment friendly manner of taking part in, as a result of she’s a winner, as a result of she cerebrally simply is aware of the sport, simply has an aura about her. “
Will UConn’s Paige Bueckers exit with a title on Sunday, or will South Carolina hoist the trophy? (AP Picture/Jenny Kane)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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A yr in the past, questions rained down about Clark, the all-time main scorer who led Iowa to back-to-back Ultimate Fours. It was a storyline loaded in sentimentality for a participant who introduced skyrocketing consideration to girls’s basketball and questions abounded if Clark could possibly be known as the best of all time with out a title. Although Staley mentioned forward of the matchup that Clark profitable a title would “seal the deal,” she mentioned after the sport she was “one of many GOATs of our sport.”
The Gamecocks entered final yr’s title sport undefeated and delivered this system’s third title regardless of their youth. This group’s seniors are taking part in of their fourth Ultimate 4 on Sunday aiming for a 3rd nationwide championship. They’ve but to win back-to-back championships, which might solidify their place alongside the greats from UConn, Tennessee and USC. The Gamecocks are 144-6 over the previous 4 years, which is best than the celebrated “freshies” class that went 129-9 behind Naismith-winning middle Aliyah Boston.
Staley mentioned the narratives about these two “nice gamers” overshadowed what her gamers have completed for 4 years.
“Once you put a story on the market, everyone sees that, and it places us at a drawback, whether or not you wish to consider so or not,” Staley mentioned. “Officers see it. It is throughout TikTok. It is throughout ‘SportsCenter.’ It is throughout all of that.”
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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is aware of what it is prefer to ship a senior off with a championship as he’s completed loads of instances over his file 11 title victories. Auriemma mentioned on Saturday that Bueckers has a life “most individuals would dream about” and “doesn’t want something to vary her life to make her life higher.”
“However for somebody who’s invested a lot into the College of Connecticut, the neighborhood, the staff, her teammates, and loves the sport a lot, she deserves to exit as a nationwide champion,” Auriemma mentioned. “However so do a bunch of youngsters at South Carolina which have completed the very same factor. And that is the fantastic thing about it. Solely a kind of goes to get to have the ability to try this. And what I need for Paige is identical factor that Daybreak needs for her youngsters.”
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Starters Sania Feagin, Bree Corridor and Te-Hina Paopao, who transferred from Oregon forward of the 2023-24 season, have an opportunity to exit faculty on a profitable observe, a uncommon accomplishment. It could be Feagin and Corridor’s third championship in 4 years, matching senior lessons from Connecticut and Tennessee.
“I need the feelings to be about our gamers and what our gamers have been in a position to do — equally, as a result of there’s room to do each,” Staley mentioned.
The rivalry fills the vacuum of Ultimate 4 battles between UConn and Tennessee, and UConn vs. Notre Dame. Auriemma’s Huskies performed the Pat Summit-led Girl Vols 4 instances in title video games and Muffet McGraw’s Combating Irish twice, although in that span there have been 15 video games in 4 years once they had been within the Massive East collectively. It’s the Huskies’ second title sport towards Staley and the Gamecocks.
South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley and the Gamecocks will try and win back-to-back nationwide titles on Sunday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Photographs)
(Sean Rayford by way of Getty Photographs)
The primary assembly between UConn and South Carolina got here in 2008. Auriemma mentioned he scheduled it as a result of he has “quite a lot of respect” for Staley. The Huskies received the primary, 97-39, and every of the subsequent two by not less than 20. South Carolina received its first within the collection in 2020 throughout Boston’s freshman season and are 5-2 within the video games since beginning with that win.
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“It is virtually like a recreation of these two issues happening the place two groups are considerably type of consistently in one another’s manner, though we’ve not been in a position to present the form of — yeah, we beat them Paige’s freshman yr — however we’ve not been in a position to present the form of punch-back till this yr that I hoped that that rivalry calls for and desires,” Auriemma mentioned.
That South Carolina did what these different rivals couldn’t in serving Auriemma and UConn their solely in a nationwide title sport loss (11-1) is what arrange the potential for a sentimental Bueckers goodbye.
“She’s an important participant, however simply since you’re an important participant doesn’t suggest you might want to win the nationwide championship to legitimize it,” Staley mentioned. “Paige is legit. She was legit from the second she stepped on this stage. Or previous to [the title game] in Minnesota. Her profession is famous. She is going to depart a legacy at UConn whether or not she wins one or not.”
Staley hopes it’s not at the price of her seniors’ personal legacies.
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