Breaking: Staley Naismith unmatched stats amid 2025 Werner Ladder college coach of the year

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley was one of 10 coaches named a semifinalist for 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Staley is the only four-time winner in the award’s history for men’s or women’s basketball, including winning it the last three seasons.

Staley led the Gamecocks to the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament titles, sweeping the two for the third-straight season and the seventh time in the last 11 seasons. After putting together the toughest schedule in the nation, according to the NET rankings, she led South Carolina to its fourth-straight 30-win season and the eighth 30-win campaign in her 17 seasons in Columbia. The Gamecocks’ 19 Quad 1 games are the most in the country and include six non-conference regular-season outings. Their 16 Quad 1 wins are also the most in the nation.

South Carolina has 12 wins over ranked opponents, including an NCAA-best seven against top-10 opponents, and has won those games by an average of 20.0 points with only one decided by single digits. The Gamecocks’ success has been built on a team concept that has them ranked 11th in the nation in points per game and their top scorer averaging just 13.2 points per game. Seven Gamecocks average at least 7.0 points per game, and the South Carolina bench leads the nation in scoring at 41.5 points per game.

No. 2/2 South Carolina awaits its seeding and opponent for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, which will be announced on Sun., Mar. 16, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.

Naismith Coach of the Year Semifinalists

Geno Auriemma, UConn

Kenny Brooks, Kentucky

Mark Campbell, TCU

Cori Close, UCLA

Lindsay Gottlieb, Southern Cal

Niele Ivey, Notre Dame

Wes Moore, NC State

Shea Ralph, Vanderbilt

Vic Schaefer, Texas

Dawn Staley, South Carolina