When we talk about the NCAA women’s basketball, few figures stand as important and influential as Dawn Staley. Considered the architect of the South Carolina Gamecocks’ modern dynasty, Staley is well known in the industry because of her strong-play philosophy, where her teams do not just win the games, they impose their will.
Yet, one of her former players, Aliyah Boston, recently revealed that even the most formidable team has a kryptonite. In their case it was Caitlin Clark.
Speaking on a recent episode of the ‘Post Moves‘ podcast with Candace Parker, Boston confessed how the locker room dynamics were before the 2023 Final Four. Her comments focused on the moment where the unstoppable force of South Carolina’s 36-0 season met the immovable object of Clark’s generational talent.
A forced shift in game-plan
For most of the 2022-2023 season, South Carolina was the rival to beat. Coming off a national championship in 2022, the Gamecocks were the odds’ favorites for the 2023 season too. In fact, even Boston noted that Staley rarely felt the need to make any strategic shifts as the team’s internal culture was perfectly stable under its own adjustment.
Honestly, Coach Staley really didn’t have to make any adjustments, because we knew that teams were coming for us every single time that we stepped on that floor.
Boston’s comments prove that they internally believed they were the best and, therefore, the team everybody wanted to win against. It was a hard task to compete with, but they were prepared for everyone’s best shot. Well, until they encountered one they had never seen before.
Meeting Caitlin Clark
The narrative of that season was clear: The trophy was destined to be a South Carolina back-to-back win. However, in that Final Four evening in Dallas, the Gamecocks’ defensive machine met an enemy they were not prepared for: A nightmare in the form of No. 22, Caitlin Clark.
She delivered a performance that has written her own name in the collegiate lore, scoring 41 points, giving 8 assists, and delivering 6 rebounds. She was not just the best player, she was the queen of the court.
Boston’s reflected that Clark’s talent was a new challenge for Staley’s traditional defensive traps.
We made it pretty far. Then we met Caitlin. Lame
That loss ended Boston’s collegiate career with a bittersweet taste, as it was the ultimate scouting report for Staley’s future but also her last game before entering to the WNBA adventure.
A generational player without a doubt
The irony present in Boston’s comments is not lost on WNBA fans today. The woman who ended her college dreams is now the one she is working with to achieve glory in Indianapolis. As current teammates on the Indiana Fever, the chemistry between Boston and Clark has become one of the league’s most watched storylines.
However, looking back at that day before the 2023 final, the respect is evident. To be the reason behind a shift from Dawn Staley is perhaps the highest compliment a basketball player can receive. It means that Clark did not just play the game, she became the biggest fear of a master of the game that had to rewrite their entire game-plan just to keep up.
In the end, and like in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark does not just break records, she breaks whole routines. Never forget, even the greatest dynasties have their ending written in the history books.
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