The dynasty Dawn Staley built just got torched on national television. Even before the final, Staley’s South Carolina was the favorite for the championship, considering her previous record against Geno Auriemma’s Huskies [5-2 since 2020]. Even before the championship game, Staley was too confident about her team. “We’re playing some of our best basketball now, Staley said on April 6… We have a core group of players that just have been playing well. Now, I think we’re hitting our stride.” But little did she know about the storm that was waiting for the Gamecocks at Amalie Arena.

Losing a game is one thing, but what the Huskies did was pure humiliation on the biggest stage—forcing Staley to walk off the court with nothing but questions swirling around her. Yes, Staley’s South Carolina was not the best team on Sunday, but let’s not forget she was undefeated against Auriemma for four years between 2021 and 2025, including the championship win against Auriemma’s Huskies in 2022. So this loss clearly stung deeper than most, as Staley didn’t hold back and delivered a blunt message to her entire Gamecocks squad.

When asked about what was the environment in the locker room after the defeat, Staley encouraged her squad to keep their heads high but feel the emotions of this defeat. “I hope they’re crying. I hope they’re boo-hooing,” Staley said. “Because crying and having emotion about losing makes you work a little bit harder in the offseason, makes you look at it and really analyze what the separation is from their program and our program and how we close the gap with that.”

And no matter how much you criticize, this does not change the fact that Dawn Staley is the best option South Carolina has right now. Having lost only five games in the last three seasons tells you how good Coach Staley has been for the Gamecocks over the years. However, despite everything Staley has achieved, fans were enraged after the crushing defeat against the Huskies. Even earlier this season, on February 16, 2025, South Carolina suffered a 29-point loss to UConn (87-58), which was their largest margin of defeat since 2008.

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Yes, Staley may have had the psychological edge over Auriemma in recent years, but history has always favored the legendary Huskies HC. And this game was just another reminder of that.

For Staley, it was a rare low moment in a championship game. Her team was helpless against UConn’s two-way dominance. The Gamecocks were down 30 points in the third quarter, a deficit that proved impossible to turn around. At the end of the game, Staley’s frustrations were visible as the cameras zoomed in on a visibly furious Staley as the final moments unfolded. Her reaction quickly went viral.

Staley was frank about how her team performed in her post-game press conference: “I hope they’re crying… because crying makes you work harder.” While Staley was optimistic that her players would respond to the loss appropriately, fans were less forgiving after the game. They took to social media to express frustration with the result. In some quarters, we will call for changes within the program.

Fans call for a change: What lies ahead for Dawn Staley?

The online outrage was quick and brutal. One fan commented, “I think it’s time for Dawn Staley to hang it up and retire. She’s past her prime. Had a great run with some great accomplishments, but it’s time to ride off into the sunset before she drags our glorious WBB team down with her.” Another one shared the same sentiment: “She got what she deserves. Dawn Staley should retire.”

Despite the brutal fallout Staley faced in the past 24 hours, there’s no denying her resume. It’s clear what she has done to rebuild the South Carolina women’s program into one of the best in the nation. Now, with three national titles and an undefeated 2024 season, this final loss was just flat-out ugly for everyone involved. Fans were upset with the lack of fight they saw from the Gamecocks, and it almost felt like they had just quit, something many didn’t take lightly.

“Time to retire Dawn Staley. This team was not ready to play” One fan wrote bluntly. “Love this. Hopefully, that’s the last we see of Dawn Staley and SC,” rejoiced another. “Dawn Staley needed a dude pretending to be a chick on her team to handle UConn today,” commented another.

As calls for her retirement grow louder, it may just be the sting of a finals loss fueling the momentary outrage because of the finals loss but deep down even the Gamecocks fans know that she is their best bet to take on the daunting task of closing the gap. After all, Auriemma’s 12th title has raised the bar to a level that perhaps only a legend like Staley can realistically reach, perhaps. Make no mistake, this is a defining time in Staley’s career, and her legacy, along with SC’s future, depends on what she does next.