South Carolina’s Dawn Staley’s sideline tantrums ‘Most beautiful thing’ to see

The last 72 hours of college basketball have been nothing short of amazing for fans around the world. The Final Four in women’s basketball clearly revealed the two best teams, while in men’s basketball, it showcased how evenly matched the final four teams contending for the national championship truly were.

UConn and South Carolina faced off in a rematch of the 2022 title game, where Dawn Staley and her team became the first program to beat Geno Auriemma in a national championship game. This time, however, the narrative was rewritten, with UConn capturing their 12th national championship trophy. For Paige Bueckers and Auriemma, it was the ending they rightfully deserved.

As for South Carolina and Staley, they were simply outmatched. All season, the Gamecocks didn’t have a go-to player to get them points; their talent alone was enough to outplay everyone. But that wasn’t the case on Sunday afternoon. Staley waved the white flag halfway through the fourth quarter, subbing all of her upperclassmen out of the game.

After the loss, Staley didn’t sugarcoat it. This defeat seems to be the motivation the Gamecocks need to get back to the top next season. The defending national champions just couldn’t get it done this time around.  “We lost to a very good basketball team. They beat our a**, but they didn’t make us like it – there’s a difference,” Staley told the media.  However, some fans got a real thrill out of Staley’s sideline tantrums.

“Not gonna lie: Seeing Dawn Staley throwing tantrums on the sidelines, because for the first time in years she doesn’t have the more talented team, is quite possibly the most beautiful thing these eyes have ever seen,” Aaron Torres wrote.  South Carolina was indeed outmatched all night, and because of that, the Gamecocks couldn’t find any rhythm. Staley will certainly review the film to see exactly what her team needs to fix in order to win a national championship in 2026.