COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley has been named National Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the organization announced Monday.
She has received this award for the fourth time in the last five seasons and she becomes the first coach in the award’s history to capture the honor in three consecutive seasons and her four awards are the second most all-time.
Staley has led her team to its third-straight NCAA Tournament overall No. 1 seed with the Gamecocks entering the NCAA Tournament undefeated for the second-consecutive season.
After losing seven players to graduation, including all five starters from the 2023 NCAA Final Four team, Staley entered the season with just one player who had ever started a game as a Gamecock. But adding the likes of Te-Hina Paopao through the transfer portal and talented freshmen like W.J. Keenan graduate Milaysia Fulwiley has allowed the Gamecocks to maintain their hold on the SEC.
The Gamecocks swept the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament titles for the sixth time in the last 10 seasons, posting a 16-0 SEC regular-season record for the third time in program history. Staley earned SEC Coach of the Year honors from her colleagues for the seventh time this season, leaving her just one behind legendary Pat Summitt for the most selections in league history. Senior center Kamillia Cardoso was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
South Carolina opens play in the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Fri., Mar. 22, with a 2 p.m. tipoff against the winner of the Wednesday’s First Four game between Presbyterian and Sacred Heart.
Sahnya Jah enters transfer portal
Suspended South Carolina freshman Sahnya Jah has entered the transfer portal. Jah is a 6-foot forward who was ranked the 40th best player in last year's recruiting class. She was suspended in February for conduct detrimental at the team. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley would not give more details about Jah's suspension, only saying the player could work her way back onto the team. Staley said Monday that she wished Jah well in her future.