Dawn Staley entered the post-game media session with a forced smile, her faithful dog Champ trailing behind her. The South Carolina coach and her national champions were in need of some solace after their impressive 71-game home winning streak at Colonial Life Arena was snapped by a resounding 87-58 loss to No. 7 UConn on Sunday.
This latest defeat followed the end of their overall winning streak at the hands of top-ranked UCLA in November and a loss to No. 3 Texas last week, which also ended their 57-game regular-season SEC winning streak.
"All of our streaks have been broken this year," Staley admitted. "But it's been a hell of a run."
The streak, which began after a loss to North Carolina State in December 2020, had captivated the 18,000-seat arena, game after game, as fans eagerly witnessed the Gamecocks' relentless victories.
A sell-out crowd of 18,000 once again packed the arena on Sunday, hoping to see the Gamecocks extend their record-breaking run. However, Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, and coach Geno Auriemma had other plans, employing relentless defense and non-stop offense to end South Carolina's four-game winning streak in the series.
Fudd finished with 28 points, fueled by six 3-pointers, while Strong, the nation's top incoming prospect, contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds.
"We were ready for whatever they threw at us," Fudd said, expressing surprise at the magnitude of their victory.
Strong's mother, Allison Feaster, a South Carolina native and former teammate of Staley's on the WNBA's Charlotte Sting, holds the state high school scoring record.
"Impressive," was how Staley described Strong. "We wanted her."
The Gamecocks fell behind by double digits in the second quarter and trailed 45-23 at halftime.
Te'Hina Paopao acknowledged the team's mistakes and lackluster effort against the Huskies. "We've got to learn and grow from this opportunity," she said. "We've got to do a better job giving effort and being mentally and physically tough."
Staley echoed Paopao's sentiment, grading her team's effort with an "F."
"They had their way with us," Staley said. "There's no trying to find a silver lining. We got beat and we got beat bad."
Staley emphasized the need for the Gamecocks to return to the defensive and offensive habits that fueled their 22-1 start before faltering in two of their past three games.
"I think we're a little mentally and physically fatigued," she said. "Just the gauntlet of the season. But there comes a time when you can regroup and get it back.