Dawn Staley calls out national media, Lisa Bluder’s ‘bar fight’ comments after Final Four loss

DALLAS – Daybreak Staley has heard sufficient.

The South Carolina women’s basketball coach was requested about the way in which her crew is labeled publicly for his or her bodily fashion of play after being upset within the Closing 4 by Iowa on the American Airways Heart, 77-73. Staley set the file straight about her crew, which she mentioned “exemplifies how it is advisable method basketball on the courtroom and off the courtroom.”

“We’re not bar fighters. We’re not thugs. We’re not monkeys. We’re not avenue fighters,” Staley mentioned. “I do suppose that that is generally introduced into the sport, and it hurts.”

Forward of the Closing 4 matchup with Iowa, coach Lisa Bluder mentioned somebody described rebounding towards South Carolina to her as “going to a bar combat.” She wasn’t the primary coach to make feedback in regards to the Gamecocks’ fashion of play. UConn coach Geno Auriemma criticized South Carolina’s physicality after the Huskies misplaced to it in February.

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Staley then revealed she was informed that nationwide media members at an occasion Thursday made feedback she implied had been unfair or disrespectful. They had been feedback Staley mentioned she supposed to deal with whether or not they gained or misplaced Friday.

“A few of the folks within the media, whenever you’re gathering in public, you are saying issues about our crew, and also you’re being heard, and it is being introduced again to me,” Staley mentioned. “And these are the those that write nationally for our sport. So you cannot like our crew and you cannot like me. However whenever you say issues that you simply most likely must be saying in your house on the cellphone or texting out in public and also you’re being heard, and you’re a nationwide author for our sport – it simply confirms what we already know. So watch what you say whenever you’re in public and also you’re speaking about my crew specifically.”

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Staley implored the room of media members to not decide her crew by the colour of their pores and skin, however the way in which they play the sport.

“You have obtained younger lives who’re actually – if you happen to actually knew them, if you happen to actually knew them, such as you actually need to know different gamers that symbolize this recreation, you’d suppose otherwise,” Staley mentioned. “It’s possible you’ll not like how we play the sport, you could not prefer it, that is the way in which we play. That is the way in which I coach.

“I am not altering. We discovered success in it, and perhaps some days like right now, we find yourself on the shedding aspect of the stick. However guess what? We dwell to see one other day. We dwell to see the comeback subsequent 12 months and take a look at to do that once more as a result of I am not altering.”

This text initially appeared on Knoxville Information Sentinel: Dawn Staley calls out media, ‘bar fight’ comments after Final Four loss