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South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley talks to football team

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South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley talks to football team


Dawn Staley is a national champion again. Now, the South Carolina women’s basketball coach is looking to spread to that around the campus for the Gamecocks.

Staley spoke to the South Carolina football program at a practice Saturday, a week ahead of the Garnet & Black Spring Game at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 20. Staley received a strong endorsement and introduction from football coach Shane Beamer, who is entering his fourth year in charge.

REQUIRED READING: South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso’s NCAA MVP showing may have altered WNBA draft projections

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“I don’t even have to introduce this special guest, ya’ll get your butts up for Dawn Staley,” Beamer said, introducing Staley. “We talk about you a lot Coach Staley, your team and the respect we have. Every single game, you got everyone’s best shot and every single week ya’ll responded. We talked about the process that you had to go through and it doesn’t just happen.”

What Dawn Staley said to South Carolina football players

Following the introduction, Staley talked about how she follows the football program and enjoys watching games from Williams-Brice Stadium or in front of her television every week during football season.

“This is the best place to be on Saturdays,” Staley said. “If I’m not here, I’m in front of my television pouring into ya’ll all the positive Gamecock vibes. I know you have a tough schedule, so what? Somebody’s got to play it.

Staley reminded the players that what they do at practices sets the stage for what the team can do during games. The Gamecocks have gone 20-18 in the first three seasons under Beamer, including a 6-7 record last season.

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“The process is every day you have to be great at the little things. They’re boring. They’re boring as hell,” Staley said. “It’s boring to do something over and over and over and perfect it. You need to do that until it’s a habit. So in a game, when it’s time to make a great play, you’re gonna be able to make a great play because the great plays are here and here. The meat and potatoes is what happens in between the great plays and when you’re good at the in between, you’ll be a great team.”

Mutual respect between Shane Beamer and Dawn Staley

Beamer was hired as the South Carolina coach, the 36th head coach in program history, on Dec. 6, 2020. Before his return, he worked as an assistant coach for the Gamecocks from 2007 to 2010. He went on to be on the staffs of Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Oklahoma before his return.

Staley has been the coach for the Gamecocks since 2008, winning three championships during her tenure. Both coaches hold a strong, mutual respect for one another. Beamer has been a regular as South Carolina women’s basketball practices.

“Just want to say, coach, was coming to our practices, even before we were winning championships during his time,” Staley said of Beamer. “I’ve never had a football coach want to come to our practices. … So he saw the good, the bad, the ugly, but he also knows what it takes to be the very best. It is a process every day.”

Beamer made the trip to Cleveland for the national championship game to watch the Gamecocks win it all. He said he’s using that as motivation to move over to football.

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“I talked about being up in Cleveland with you guys last Sunday and watching the postgame celebration, envisioning what that’s going to be like for football when we do that,” Beamer said. “But then also making sure they understand that when you took over your program, it was not what it is right now. The work that went into it. So I, we have so much respect for you. I’m blessed to call you a colleague and super excited that Coach Staley is out here with us today.

“Ya’ll better be at that championship parade downtown tomorrow, as well.”



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Former South Carolina wide receiver finds transfer portal landing spot

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Former South Carolina wide receiver finds transfer portal landing spot


On Sunday, former South Carolina wide receiver Tyshawn Russell signed with the Syracuse Orange. On3’s Pete Nakos reported the news.

Russell entered the transfer portal earlier this month after not factoring into the receiver room with the Gamecocks this year. He played a decent amount in 2023 before dropping in the pecking order ahead of the 2024 campaign. Russell will join a Syracuse team that finished 9-3 this fall.

During his time with the Gamecocks, Russell logged five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. His one score came on a 50-yard bomb from LaNorris Sellers in 2023. However, he flashed more promise than those numbers might indicate. Thanks to a redshirt this season, he will have three more years of eligibility remaining.

South Carolina Transfer Portal Resources:

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Russell was not the only receiver to leave Columbia via the transfer portal this offseason. Fellow second-year players CJ Adams and Elijah Caldwell also hit the portal. Neither Adams nor Caldwell have committed to new programs yet. True freshman Debron Gatling also entered the transfer portal, but he has since committed to Georgia Tech.

South Carolina has been in on several wide receiver targets in the transfer portal, though, they have already filled those vacated scholarship spots with true freshmen Malik Clark, Jordon Gidron, Brian Rowe, Jayden Sellers, and Lex Cyrus. The Gamecocks have five wideouts signed in the class of 2025 and could have a sixth coming soon if Donovan Murph picks USC during the Under Armour All-American Game in January.



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Gamecocks Motivated About Citrus Bowl Opportunity

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Gamecocks Motivated About Citrus Bowl Opportunity


As South Carolina prepares for its Citrus Bowl matchup against Illinois, the message from players is clear: this team isn’t just happy to be in Orlando.

The No. 15 Gamecocks (9-3) have their sights set on a historic tenth win, which would mark only the eighth time in program history the team has reached double-digit victories. Despite the disappointment of missing the expanded College Football Playoff, players emphasized their focus has shifted entirely to ending the season on a high note against the Fighting Illini (9-3).

“It’s just another chance to play with my teammates. All of them are like my brothers, even the coaching staff,” said defensive lineman Boogie Huntley, who confirmed earlier this week that he will play in the bowl game. “It’s just another opportunity to go out and have fun, show the nation and the world who South Carolina is.”

The Gamecocks enter the December 31 matchup at Camping World Stadium riding high after their victory over rival Clemson, a game that produced several players’ favorite moments of the season. Linebacker Debo Williams cited quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ game-winning touchdown run against the Tigers as his top memory, while Demetrius Knight Jr. still possesses the ball from his crucial interception to seal the rivalry win.

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Sellers, whose heroics in the Clemson game have made him something of a campus celebrity, has maintained his focus despite the increased attention. “I trust him,” Sellers said of his relationship with coach Mike Shula, who was officially confirmed as the team’s new offensive coordinator earlier this week. “He’s coached a lot of guys and has a history with a lot of guys in the NFL. It’s about him trusting me and us continuing to have a great relationship from here on out.”

The defense, which has been a strength all season, appears motivated to finish strong. Safety Nick Emmanwori emphasized the team’s desire to approach this game differently than other teams who missed the playoff. “We want to come with a different mental approach,” Emmanwori said, noting the team is using the playoff snub as motivation.

For seniors like Tonka Hemingway, who recently won the Ray Tanner award, the bowl game represents one final opportunity to represent the school. “I’m really excited to put on the Garnet and black one more time and just leave it all out there,” Hemingway said.

South Carolina enters the game as an 9.5-point favorite against an Illinois team led by former Ole Miss quarterback Luke Altmyer, who has thrown for over 2,500 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on ABC, as the Gamecocks seek to close out what has already been a memorable season with one more victory.



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One dead in Orangeburg Co. Saturday night crash

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One dead in Orangeburg Co. Saturday night crash


ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) – The South Carolina Highway Patrol says one person has died in an Orangeburg County crash from Saturday night.

Sgt. Tyler Tidwell says this accident happened at approximately 7:05 p.m. on Redmond Mill Road near Magenta Drive. This is about four miles east of the Town of North.

Tidwell says a Hyundai sedan was traveling west on Redmond Mill Road when they went off to the road to the left and struck a tree. They were the only person in the car and the only vehicle involved.

The Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office has not yet identified the victim.

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