Dawn Staley’s ‘Gamble’ Leaves Shea Ralph Searching SEC Answers – Report

After getting their 12-game winning streak broken against the No. 10-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks were looking for blood. And in their latest game against the red-hot No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores, who entered this matchup without a single loss in the 2025-26 NCAA season, Dawn Staley’s “gamble” turned into a crushing SEC lesson for the Commodores’ head coach, Shea Ralph.

What unfolded on Sunday wasn’t just another ranked win for the Gamecocks; it was a statement. They didn’t just simply beat the Commodores; they exposed the cracks in their empire that secured 20 back-to-back wins, as South Carolina forced them into a kind of chaos they hadn’t faced all year.

Advertisement

And according to Chantel Jennings, it all came down to one smart defensive adjustment from Staley at exactly the right moment. During the latest episode of No Offseason, The Athletic‘s senior writer, in a conversation with Zena Keita and Sabreena Merchant, said, “I think Dawn Staley made the right call when she looked at it and said, ‘We’re going to give up a few inches of height here in the paint, and what we’re going to get is a quicker, more reactive defensive team.’”

Jennings also emphasized that this wasn’t just random aggression after a loss; it was calculated. Vanderbilt is normally one of the most composed teams in the country. But when Staley saw an opening, she used it to turn the game from just a win to a one-sided game.

“Getting into Aubrey Galvan, a freshman point guard. She only had one assist the entire first half. This is a team that I think they averaged 12 turnovers a game. They had eight like first quarter, first half. It’s just the amount that they got into them, into their bodies, into the passing lane sped them up. To do that, knowing that they have a freshman point guard. I think you can kind of like gamble there a little bit because this isn’t a fifth-year guard who’s going to know how to handle that. And I don’t think that Vanderbilt had seen a team play defense like that this season or play that quick. And so I think it was a smart call. It was the right change-up at the right time,” she further added.

Advertisement

The 103-74 loss dropped Vanderbilt to 20–1 overall and 6–1 in SEC play, ending their historic unbeaten run.

While Mikayla Blakes and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda did everything they could to help their team win the game, finishing the game with a total of 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, none of it mattered once South Carolina’s pressure took over.

As soon as the Gamecocks entered the game, they exploded with a 33–16 lead after the first quarter. And even when the Commodores opened the third quarter with back-to-back buckets to make it 55–48, South Carolina immediately slammed the door shut with a dominant scoring burst to stretch the lead back out.

They also forced Vanderbilt to commit a season-high 20 turnovers, off which the Gamecocks scored 32-points. So by the time the final buzzer sounded, it was clear that South Carolina was reminding the SEC what happens when they flip the switch.

Advertisement

What’s next for Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks?

With this win in their bag, the Gamecocks now sit at 20-2 in the ongoing season. The only two losses they have faced so far came against the No. 4-ranked Texas Longhorns on November 27th and against the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners on January 22. But they already took revenge on the Longhorns on January 15th, when they played the Longhorns again and won 68-65.

In addition, coming to the stat sheet, the team is currently led by Joyce Edwards, with the most points (20.0) and steals (2.1) per game. But as a team, they are easily averaging 89.0 points per game while holding opponents to just 56.6.

For their next game, they will play against the Auburn Tigers on January 29th. A game predicted to be in their favor with 98.5% by ESPN. Following that, they will lock horns with:

Advertisement

• The Texas A&M Aggies on February 2nd.

• The Mississippi State Bulldogs on February 5th.

• The No. 15 Tennessee Lady Volunteers on February 8th.

The post Dawn Staley’s ‘Gamble’ Leaves Shea Ralph Searching SEC Answers – Report appeared first on EssentiallySports.