The official March Insanity girls's basketball account thought it was posting a video of South Carolina girls's basketball coach Dawn Staley praising UConn star Paige Bueckers. However faculty basketball followers have been fast to learn between the strains and see the shade thrown at Caitlin Clark within the course of.
Caitlin Clark is a sore spot for South Carolina
There's good purpose to consider that Staley holds a grudge in opposition to Clark, after the Iowa guard scored 41 factors to finish the Gamecocks' season in final 12 months's epic Remaining 4 contest.
Not like when Staley sat on the fence about whether or not Caitlin Clark is the GOAT of girls's faculty basketball, she had no situation placing Bueckers above the remaining.
Her particular praise about Paige's "efficiency" additionally appeared to be a dig at Clark. It mirrored an analogous remark that LSU coach Kim Mulkey made earlier within the season, when she mentioned: "We don't have any players shooting 40 times a game like you see around the country."
A handful of followers highlighted the attainable drama within the social media feedback.
"Unfortunately Dawn has to use her in a petty effort to troll or take shots at Caitlin. Diminishes everything Paige has accomplished. Be better Dawn," mentioned a jaded fan of Bueckers on Twitter/X.
"Dawn still stinging from that loss last year, Caitlin is the goat and she is jealous," one other remark theorized. "she wants the attention."
South Carolina might meet Iowa in NCAA championship sport
Because the Candy 16 will get underway, the chance for the Staley-Clark drama to be settled on the courtroom continues to be alive, nevertheless it might solely occur on the most important stage. If South Carolina advances to the Remaining 4, it will face one in every of Texas, Gonzaga, NC State or Stanford within the nationwide semifinal, earlier than a attainable Iowa showdown with a trophy on the road.
In the meantime, Clark's path again to the title sport is a minefield of adverse matchups and emotional narratives. If Iowa beats Colorado within the Candy 16, Clark might get an opportunity at long-awaited revenge in opposition to 3-seed LSU and Angel Reese, who beat Iowa in final 12 months's ultimate.
Make it previous that problem, and the winner of Bueckers' UConn or Juju Watkins' USC might await Clark within the Remaining 4. Both would supply a stiff problem that might match Clark within the backcourt within the different nationwide semifinal.
In different phrases, so much must go proper to present Staley's Gamecocks an opportunity to settle the rating with the Hawkeyes on the courtroom. Irrespective of the way it goes, the drama degree is rising as Staley made the Candy 16 slightly extra spicy.
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