Why Dawn Staley said South Carolina is 'blue collar' compared to UConn, Tennessee 'powerhouses'

South Carolina women's basketball has been the most dominant team in the NCAA for two seasons, but coach Dawn Staley said her program is still chasing legendary status.

Prior to Staley's hiring in 2008, South Carolina had been to the NCAA Tournament twice in the previous decade and had never advanced past the Elite Eight. By the time Staley made her first tournament appearance in 2012, Geno Auriemma had already won seven national titles at UConn, including three consecutively from 2002-04. Tennessee had eight under Pat Summitt, who retired following the 2012 season.

"I don't see us as a UConn or Tennessee. I don't see us as that because they are the traditionally rich powerhouses of our game," Staley said. "But when you see South Carolina ... the trajectory that we've been experiencing, someone else could do it that looks like our team."

"We're more of a blue-collar, nose-to-the-ground program that has found some success ... and for people to tune in and want to watch us, it means that our game is growing ... I'm a Black coach, and I've got a predominantly Black team, and for the viewers to tune into that, it means that we're opening doors that were closed for a program like us."

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South Carolina (34-0) is aiming for the third NCAA title in program history and will face 4-seed UCLA (27-9) in the Sweet 16 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN).

While they are still several championships short of matching the legacies of UConn or Tennessee, the Gamecocks aren't far from the conversation. Auriemma won two titles in his first 15 seasons with the Huskies and Summit won four. Staley, if South Carolina wins another this season, will have three in 15 years – and she could have had a fourth if COVID-19 had not cancelled the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Winning the 2023 national championship would put Staley in rare company, becoming the fourth coach in NCAA history to win consecutive titles, joining Summitt, Auriemma and Southern California legend Linda Sharp. South Carolina would also be the 10th program to complete an undefeated season.

South Carolina is one of the most popular women's teams in the country, leading the NCAA in attendance for the past decade. The Gamecocks averaged just under 13,000 fans at home game in 2023, and their Feb. 12 matchup with SEC rival LSU was the most-watched women's basketball game since 2010, averaging 1.5 million viewers on ESPN.

Staley said those stats speak volumes about the value of women's basketball, and she is ready for the sport to be treated like the money-maker it can be.

"I do believe women's basketball can stand on its own and be a huge revenue-producing sport that could do, to a certain extent, what men's basketball has done." Staley said. "I do believe we're at that place now. I do believe we were probably at that place years ago, but until we're able to have the decision-makers give us that opportunity – and I think it's a buildup. It's slowly building up to that because there's proof in the numbers."

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dawn Staley: South Carolina 'blue collar' compared to UConn, Tennessee