PARIS — South Carolina women’s basketball and coach Dawn Staley got a video message of support on Sunday from Colorado football coach Deion Sanders ahead of the team’s historic season opener against Notre Dame in France.
Sanders and Staley are both partnered with Aflac, which was also the title sponsor of the ‘Oui-Play’ game Monday at Halle Georges Carpentier Arena, which the No. 4 ranked Gamecocks won in dominant fashion, 100-71 over the No. 10 Fighting Irish.
Staley has appeared in commercials for the insurance company alongside legendary former Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski since March, while Sanders is paired with Alabama football coach Nick Saban.
‘Coach Staley, I love you. I appreciate you, what you bring to those young ladies,’ Sanders said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. ‘What you’ve accomplished in life, in victory, in defeat, how classy, how strong, the bravado, the compassion, the love that you give off, it’s infectious.’
Sanders also shouted out Staley’s playing days a point guard, first for Virginia, then in the WNBA and for Team USA. Staley was a six-time WNBA All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist during her career on the court, and she has led South Carolina to two NCAA championships and earned three Naismith Coach of the Year awards in 15 years with the Gamecocks.
‘First of all, I loved you when you was locking them down. You know how we get down,’ Sanders said, laughing. ‘I love you, and I appreciate you so much and I glean from you. Yeah, I’m watching you, so I’m going to watch you get down and do your thing in France … Who else deserves it more than you do? Nobody. God bless you sister.’
Staley sent love back to Sanders in a post of her own, sharing encouragement after the Buffaloes suffered a 26-19 loss to Oregon State on Saturday.
‘Back at you! And yeah I know you coming!!’ Staley wrote on X, formerly Twitter. ‘Appreciate you and love you and the impact you’re making….stay prayed up!’
South Carolina crushes Notre Dame in Paris
On Monday, Staley’s squad made a statement the first regular-season NCAA basketball game on Parisian soil: This is not a rebuilding year.
The Gamecocks had trailed the all-time series vs. Notre Dame 2-3 and had lost three consecutive meetings, with South Carolina’s last win coming in 1982, but the Gamecocks buried that streak in Paris.
The Gamecocks trailed the Irish for much of the first quarter with an entirely new starting lineup on the floor from last season’s Final Four squad. It didn’t take long for the group to settle in though, and South Carolina led by 25 points by the end of the third quarter.
Star center Kamilla Cardoso led the team with a double-double, recording 20 points and 15 rebounds plus four blocks. Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao wasn’t far behind with 14 points, six assists and three steals shooting 50% from 3-point range in her Gamecocks debut.
MiLaysia Fulwiley also made a huge impact, and her performance could be summarized in a single play: Late in the first half, the freshman guard drove towards the basket, flipped the ball behind her back and drained an alley-oop layup through three Notre Dame defenders.
It was one of a dozen highlight-reel plays Fulwiley made, finishing with 17 points, six assists and a team-high six steals. Fulwiley went 8-of-14 from the field and earned shoutouts from Magic Johnson and Kevin Durant on social media to boot.
Follow South Carolina women’s basketball reporter Emily Adams on X @eaadams6.