What Dawn Staley said ahead of the South Carolina-Texas A&M game

South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley spoke to the media Wednesday to preview the team’s upcoming game against Texas A&M. Here’s everything she had to say.

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On breaking the news of Ashlyn Watkins’ injury to the rest of the team

“Ashlyn (Watkins) told them. I didn’t tell them—I gave it to her to tell them. Obviously, they’re upset because she’s an integral part of our team, but injuries happen. A lot of times when our players get injured, whether it’s for a short period of time or at the end of the season, we just keep it going, try not to harp on it too much because it’s felt. But the more you progress, the more they progress – and our players have to progress. I mean, that’s part of it. And I feel like other people will step up and play a bigger role for us – it’s the people who didn’t play that much and the people who are in the game and played regularly.”

On the hole Watkins leaves in South Carolina’s game plan

“Only time will tell. We’re not leaning too much on one or two players – it’s a collective effort. (I) didn’t ask any of our players to do more than what they’re already doing. When you ask them about doing more than what they’re doing, they’re playing to the best of their ability, so we just want everyone to hold serve and hopefully the people who haven’t played just to give us what they do best on a given day. So we just keep going move us.”

On Staley’s confidence in Adhel Tac, Sakima Walker and Maryam Dauda

“Adhel (Tac)have done some good things in here behind closed doors. And then when you put her in the game, she has an impact. Sakima (Walker) – just get healthy. Like, Sakima is a big body. She’s 6-foot-6 — you’ve got to protect her inside. She has to catch and make shots for us and then, defensively, she just has to be big. So, Maryam (Dauda) – I think Maryam is the wild card because she has a great ability offensively. She rebounds basketball; she is not afraid. She has toughness – she just has to put it all together and be sure to do it. And once she gains confidence, I think she will be able to help us.

“Sometimes when you take someone as big as Ashlyn out of your equation, other people have an opportunity. And what they do with that opportunity — usually they do something pretty good with it. We’re going to work with them and we’re going to be patient with them.”

On Dauda’s ability to acclimate by playing more minutes against ranked opponents

“I mean, the extended minutes would be if she’s playing well. I mean, I can’t control… Like, if you’re not playing well, no, there’s no way you’re going to play extended minutes. But it is, and I’m not going to take her out, or two mistakes, (and) I might have to get her out. But I’m going to let her play through let our players play some stuff through and then you watch the scoreboard. If we’re holding serve on the scoreboard, (we) are more lenient to leave them out there to give them some minutes. But if the scoreboard is moving in an unfavorable way, then you have to get combinations out there, there will move it the opposite way.”

On South Carolina’s defensive schemes after losing Watkins’ shot-blocking abilities

“You do a little bit of both (more minutes for bigs and perimeter defense). I mean, there are players on our roster who aren’t shot blockers — they’re deterrents. Like Sakima is a deterrent. Maryam, she’s big. Adhel, she breaks into a block, but you feel her presence. Like, you don’t want to just go in there and get something. Ashlyn makes things – life – easier, for sure, defensively (and) offensively. But we have her no, and we’re not going to harp on it. We don’t have her, so we’re going to have to figure out how to close the hole she created.”

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On filling the hole in the rotation left by Watkins

“I mean, it’s ‘the next woman up.’ And if the ‘next woman up’ isn’t ready right now, we’ll continue to come in here in practice to try to speed it up. So in the games, we might have to try something else. We might have to play small ball. The last time we lost a big one, we played small ball. We might have to pull that rabbit out of the hat.”

On what Texas head coach Vic Schaefer brings to the Longhorns

“Vic is a habitual coach. He looks a lot like what he was at Mississippi State. He’s probably got a more talented roster, so he has a lot more to work with. I think he will be the same old, same old – in a good way. They are going to press; they will make it difficult for you to get into the ball. They’re going to pressure your defense and then offensively he’s going to find who to shoot the ball. He has great; he has sagittarius. He has a point guard that is extraordinary – a complete point guard that can score, facilitate and control the game. (They) got all the keys to win the national championship.

“Fortunately, they’re in our league because you can continue to measure yourself (and) where you’re at nationally and how close you are to winning the national championship. So that’s a good barometer for us in this week. Texas A&M will be a great barometer, as well as Texas.”

What Staley expects to see from Texas A&M

“They’re definitely going to play 40 minutes. (They’re) just real physical defensively. They’re going to get up on you; they’re going to play some zone. And then, offensively, they’re not shy about shooting the basketball— all five. But (Aicha) Coulibaly is the one we haven’t solved by playing her. I think the last time, (she scored) 32 points against us in the SEC tournament. I think they are better. They play more coherently. They have some greats doing what greats do. They have guards who are a year older – some transfers who have played in our league, so (they are) formidable. And then they come off a big win against Ole Miss.”

On Te-Hina Paopao’s growth this season

“I mean, she’s (Te-Hina Paopao) comfortable, and there is nothing like comfort. She knows the shots we set her up for. She has met us half way with her ability to defend – just as I am really impressed with her defence. And then, her ability to adjust – she’s not shooting it as effectively as she did last year, and a lot of that is because she’s countering it. I’m hoping the counters will loosen her up to have a little more open shots out there outside of the three, but she’s a pro. Professional habits put her in a position where she can easily play her style of play and adapt when needed.”