Pressure is the name of the game for South Carolina. They’re the defending champions who denied Caitlin Clark her fairytale ending with a coach who just got a big payday this year. There’s no doubt that Dawn Staley’s team is phenomenal, but this time? They have a lot on their plate! The Gamecocks, after thumping Texas in the Final Four, are all set to meet Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies in the national title game.

And it’s not gonna be easy! Coach Geno is the winningest coach in Division I history, be it men’s or women’s. Not to mention, he has a strong core. Paige Bueckers, a POTY candidate, Sarah Strong, an incredible playmaker, and Azzi Fudd, their best shooter. When we look at the Huskies, we see a complete team that’s going to be difficult to beat. Paige Bueckers is in her last year of college, and she has a lot to prove. However, Dawn Staley isn’t worried about the six-foot point guard.

Instead, the Hall-of-Famer coach turned her attention to the up-and-coming youngster, Sarah Strong! A tweet by UConn reporter Emily Adams confirmed Staley’s eyes to be on the six-foot-two freshman. “Sarah might be, in the next three years, the best player to come out of UConn … She puts it all together. She makes it all work.” The Gamecocks coach said, and it makes sense.

Strong is only nineteen years old right now, and she’s #1 in rebounds, and #2 in points on a stacked UConn team. She plays like a pro, partly because of a strong basketball background at home, and has shown heaps of potential. Over the next three years, Sarah Strong could truly become a one-woman-army for Geno Auriemma and his Huskies!

That is not to say that the six-foot-two forward isn’t a threat right now. Her court vision and basketball IQ are second-to-none, and she can definitely score at a high level. There’s a lot of hype around this matchup for one reason—Paige Bueckers. According to analysts, her legacy at UConn might depend on Sunday’s outcome. But Dawn Staley disagrees, and for good reason too.

Dawn Staley waving away question marks about Paige Bueckers’ legacy

Over the last four years, the world has come to know and love Paige Bueckers, the UConn sensation! From clean-sweeping the NPOY race in her freshman year, to coming back from a gruesome knee injury, Bueckers has done it all during her time as a Husky. However, there’s just one feather missing from her cap—a national championship.

Championships define a player’s legacy, we’ve seen it time and time again, but they’re not everything that matters. Bueckers’ impact on the game has been gigantic, and rival coach Dawn Staley did not shy away from giving her the credit she deserves. “There’s a sentimental narrative about Paige.” The Gamecocks coach said. “She’s a great player, but just because you’re a great player doesn’t mean you need to win the national championship to legitimize it.”

Staley had heaps of praise for the young talent. “Paige is legit. Her career is legendary. She will leave a legacy at UConn whether she wins one or not.” The thing is, Dawn Staley has seen this entire scenario before, and she doesn’t like it.

Last year, when South Carolina pulled off something incredible and went undefeated, all the media hype was centered around CC. And this year? We’re seeing something quite similar. It will be a clash of the titans, but Staley wants to keep pointless narratives out of it.