The Daily Gamecock

Dawn Staley previews new brand of Gamecocks at SEC Media Day

Bianca Cuevas attempts to take a shot against Breanna Stewart. Cuevas is good at fast breaks but is matched with Stewart's height.
Bianca Cuevas attempts to take a shot against Breanna Stewart. Cuevas is good at fast breaks but is matched with Stewart's height.

South Carolina women's basketball has gone a combined 45-3 in SEC play over the past three seasons. So at first glance, it seemed odd that head coach Dawn Staley embraced the opportunity for change at SEC Media Day.

With senior Alaina Coates and junior A'ja Wilson, the Gamecocks will return arguably the most dominant frontcourt in the country.

The nucleus of their backcourt, however, will look a lot different. The departure of three-time All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year Tiffany Mitchell will be one of the biggest changes in the composition of the team. 

"This team is way different than the team that we have put on the floor the past few years," Staley said. "We have a lot of talent spread all over the floor. Even, I think, our depth will be better than it has been in the past."

The major questions about the 2016-2017 rendition of the Gamecocks linger at the point guard position. Staley was willing to shed some light on those concerns when she cited junior Bianca Cuevas-Moore as the leading candidate to run South Carolina's offense. 

"You want to insert Bianca Cuevas right into that starting lineup. And she's playing extremely well. She's playing a lot more mature — on and off the court," said Staley. 

Cuevas-Moore started just one game last season but has been a key contributor off the bench since arriving in Columbia. She came on strong at the end of last season and averaged 10.7 points per game in the SEC Tournament. 

"We are gonna play a lot faster than we have played and not put so much pressure on Bianca to understand everything and all the nuances about our offenses. So we want to capitalize on her speed," Staley said of the junior. 

The opportunity to play at an increased tempo could allow South Carolina's high-powered offense to be even more potent than it has been is prior seasons. 

For Staley, change is not so much about tearing down the infrastructure of her previously successful teams. It is about adapting to the new strengths of her current roster in order to put the best product on the court. 


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