Women’s basketball in contention for more postseason awards
Members of the South Carolina women’s basketball team have earned a number of postseason awards so far for their historic 2013-14 season, but two Gamecocks have the opportunity to add to their resumes on the national stage before all is said and done.
After South Carolina earned a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament, coach Dawn Staley has been named one of four finalists for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year award. Staley has already received an SEC Coach of the Year nod from both The Associated Press and the league’s coaches.
Joining her on the list of finalists is Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw and North CarolinaState’s Wes Moore.
Sophomore guard Tiffany Mitchell is the other Gamecock that will vie for a national award as a finalist for, ironically, the Dawn Staley Award, which is presented by Phoenix Club of Philadelphia. Mitchell was the AP’s only unanimous All-SEC first team selection, and she also won SEC Player of the Year recognition.
The Gamecock guard is one of three finalists for the Staley award, along with Baylor’s Odyssey Sims and Breanna Stewart of Connecticut.
Both awards will be announced in April, as the Gamecocks make a push for the Women’s Final Four in Nashville, Tenn.