sport news South Carolina coach Dawn Staley thanks 'GOAT' Caitlin Clark after NCAA title ... trends now
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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has backtracked on her pre-championship game comments on Caitlin Clark, as she described the Iowa star as the 'GOAT', while thanking her for 'lifting our game' after bursting into tears following the Gamecocks' NCAA title win.
Staley, who has been in charge of South Carolina's women basketball program since 2008, struggled to find the right words to describe what she was feeling and needed a minute to compose herself after winning her second NCAA championship with the Gamecocks in three years and third overall.
In a postgame interview with ESPN, she teared up on camera while players uplifted her despite clearly feeling overwhelmed with emotions.
'I'm so proud, so proud,' Staley, who wore a multi-thousand-dollar Louis Vuitton jacket at Sunday's game said into the microphone at first. 'I am so incredibly happy for our players. It doesn't always end like you want it to end, much like last year... I'm just super proud of where I work, I'm super proud of our fans. It's awesome and unbelievable.'
'[...] I personally want to thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,' she added in tribute to the NCAA's leading scorer in both men and women's college hoops. 'She carried a heavy load for our sport.
