Head coach for the No. 3 South Carolina Women’s basketball team, Dawn Staley, is one of the 15 candidates on the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List, Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.
Staley has claimed the award four times in the past six seasons, and she has been the only coach to win the award three seasons in a row.
With only one returning starter and just two major contributions off the bench, Staley went into this season with impactful and drastic roster changes. Over 60% of the offense was altered, as she added the 2025 NCAA leading scorer in senior guard Ta’Niya Latson from Florida State and a top SEC center, senior Medina Okot, who came from Mississippi State.
Staley's renovated roster is in a position to compete for a fourth national championship. The Gamecocks are projected to be a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament according to ESPN Bracketology.
The Gamecocks are ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll. They have won seven games over ranked opponents, with four wins against top-10 teams.
South Carolina's offense is ranked third in the nation in points per game at 87.8 with a field goal percentage of 38.3%. From a defensive standpoint, the Gamecocks are among the best in the nation with a rank of 18th in scoring defense and second in field goal percentage defense of 33.6%.
On the court, Latson and sophomore forward Joyce Edwards are representing the Gamecocks on the 2025-26 Wooden Award Women's Midseason Top 25 Watch List.
Latson is on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watchlist, while Edwards finds herself on the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watchlist.
Additionally, senior guard Raven Johnson is on the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watchlist, while Okot is on the 2026 Lisa Leslie Award Midseason Top 10 list for best center in the country.