Iowa Coach Responds To Dawn Staley's Postgame Rant

PublishedApril 3, 2023 7:51 AM EDT|UpdatedApril 3, 2023 7:51 AM EDT

No one is seriously buying South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley's overreaction to comments made about her team, especially Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder.

After the Gamecocks' loss to Iowa, 77-73, in the NCAA women's Final Four, Staley went off on the postgame podium. She referenced past comments made by Bluder, describing SC's style of play as a "bar fight."

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Dawn Staley Cries Discrimination (Again)

Staley claimed that Bluder and the media were characterizing the Gamecocks as "thugs" or "monkeys." It was an expected angle from Staley — one of basketball's best (and wokest) coaches, ever — and possibly a way to deflect attention from losing the game.

"We're not bar fighters, we're not thugs, we're not monkeys," Staley said after the loss Friday. "We're not street fighters. This team exemplifies how you need to approach basketball on the court and off the court. And I do think that that's sometimes brought into the game, and it hurts.

“Some of the people in the media, when you’re gathering in public, you’re saying things about our team and you’re being heard, and it’s being brought back to me,” Staley added. “And these are the people that write nationally for our sport. So you can not like our team. You can not like me."

Lisa Bluder Says There Was Nothing Hurtful About Her Comments

Bluder spoke out to address the comments by Staley, clarifying (as if it needed clarifying) that her comments were not pointed.

"There was absolutely no ill intent,” Bluder said ahead of Sunday's national championship game against Kim Mulkey's LSU Tigers.

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

“I know coaches will take things and spin it to try to motivate their team,” the coach added. “I’ve done that, I’m sure. So be it with that. I really meant it as a compliment, like you are going to have to fight harder than you’ve ever fought in your life to get a defensive rebound against this team because they are so good. That’s what my intent was.”

It was another flop by Staley, who's gone as far as canceling a game against BYU after a debunked act of racism was reported at Smith Fieldhouse between the Cougars and Duke Blue Devils.