South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s No. 2 Gamecocks stumbled in overtime on Thursday evening when they lost 94-82 to the No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners.
After the game was over, the legendary coach spoke with the media and shared her thoughts on why they lost to a lower-ranked team.
What Did Dawn Staley Reveal About Why Her Gamecocks Lost to Oklahoma?
Gamecocks star Raven Johnson lost the ball with a chance to win the game, forcing overtime after the teams were tied 75-75. Oklahoma freshman Aaliyah Chavez took over in overtime, scoring 15 of her 26 points to lead the Sooners to the upset win in an increasingly competitive SEC slate.
The Gamecocks led 43-36 at halftime, but Oklahoma rallied to take a 71-65 lead with 4:17 remaining in regulation. An 8-0 run by South Carolina nudged them in front 75-73, but a Raegan Beers layup tied the game, setting the stage for Chavez’s overtime explosion.
During her postgame news conference after the loss, Staley revealed the simple reason her team lost to the Sooners.
“We ran into a team that actually wanted to win more,” Staley said. “They made winning plays, we didn’t. It’s not really rocket science, it’s really a simplistic thing. We didn’t do enough to win. When you do that in our league, especially on the road, you pay for it, you pay for it with defeat.”
The Gamecocks were riding a wave after narrowly vanquishing SEC rivals, the Texas Longhorns, last week, followed by a blowout of the Coppin State Eagles. The loss to Oklahoma has brought Staley’s championship-chasing team back down to earth.
Staley Bemoans Ta’Niya Latson’s Struggles
Talented guard Ta’Niya Latson was supposed to be the icing on the cake for Staley’s 2025-2026 roster after finishing the 2024-2025 season as the leading points scorer in the country while playing for the Florida State Seminoles. She has not yet replicated that form for the Gamecocks, and she struggled offensively against Oklahoma.
After tallying six points (1-of-10 from the field), three rebounds, and two assists against the Sooners, Staley bemoaned the senior guard’s struggles during her postgame news conference.
“Just struggle,” Staley said. “Didn’t really get good looks at the basket, didn’t really get out in transition a whole lot. I think we have to do a better job at getting her in positions where she can really score, make plays.
“It wasn’t there tonight. I thought she forced it a little bit, but sometimes you do that when you’re used to scoring points. We have to do a better job at putting her in a better position to score and feel good about it.”
While South Carolina has an impressive 19-2 record this season, Latson’s struggles in tough games will be cause for concern for Staley’s team as they attempt to return to the pinnacle of college basketball.
