Dawn Staley has never been one to bite her tongue. She’s a straight shooter — always has been, always will be. But when ESPN put out a headline claiming she said Paige Bueckers’ title chase was overshadowing South Carolina’s accomplishments, Staley didn’t just clarify. She fired back.
“LIES! Fix your headline please!” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter), making it loud and clear: she was not here for the narrative being tilted unfairly.
But what really happened? Well, the drama started ahead of SC’snational championship showdown with UConn — a game stacked with star power, history, and high stakes. The buzz, however, wasn’t just about two powerhouse programs clashing for the title. It was largely centered around one player: Paige Bueckers.
There’s no denying Bueckers’ greatness. She’s a generational talent and a fan favorite. Staley herself even praised her during the pregame press conference: “Anybody would start their franchise with Paige because she’s a winner.” But that wasn’t the point.
ESPN Women’s Hoops had run an excerpt from an interview that read, “Dawn Staley says narrative around Paige Bueckers and her quest to win a title has overshadowed South Carolina’s feats.” What had Staley really said?
LIES! Fix your headline please! https://t.co/YUL7AolNqy
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) April 5, 2025
“Sometimes we create these narratives about great players — Caitlin was one of them; Paige is one of them right now — and we tend to forget the narrative about what our kids have been able to do.” And what her kids have done? It’s historic. The Gamecocks were on the verge of a second straight title and a third in four years. That’s not just impressive — it’s dynasty-level dominance.
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