NEW YORK — South Carolina Gamecocks Head Coach Dawn Staley and star player Kamilla Cardoso rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday.
Two, along with several USC assistant coaches, were guests on the balcony overlooking the floor of the trading area. Staley and Cardoso hit the button which triggered the bell to ring, starting the day of stock trading.
Gamecock logos were put into monitors around the stock exchange, and a few Gamecock fans must have been a part of those working there, as they flashed the Spurs Up hand gesture while the event happened.
Staley and Cardoso were in New York for the WNBA Draft, which was held Monday night. Cardoso was picked third overall by the Chicago Sky.
Of course the two are coming off a big last few weeks, highlighted by the Gamecocks capping off an undefeated season with a 87-75 win over Iowa in the national championship game in Cleveland. Days later, Staley went to Paris to watch a Champions League soccer match. Then on Sunday afternoon, Staley and Cardoso participated in the Gamecocks' national championship parade in downtown Columbia. The two then had to quickly fly up to New York in time for Monday's ceremony, which took place at 7:30 p.m.
USC became the first team to go undefeated since UConn in 2016 and just the 10th team all time to go through a season unblemished. Including last season, when they went undefeated until the Final Four, USC is a staggering 74-1 over the last two seasons. When you add their last title run in 2022, they're 108-3 in three seasons.
The Gamecocks are undefeated in championship games, going 3-0.
USC has also further cemented their status as the best program in their sport with three championships since 2017, two near misses in 2021 and 2023, and the COVID stopped season when they were the top team going into the tournament that was canceled. No other team can boast the talent of the Gamecocks, and no other team has had anywhere near as much success.