Two black women met in the championship game of a Power 5 conference tournament for the first time in the history of NCAA Division I women’s basketball.
The SEC tournament final placed second in the South Carolina standings, led by Dawn Staley, against the fourth-placed standings in Georgia, led by Joni Taylor, on Sunday afternoon in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Black coaches face off in the title game for the first time
It is the first time in the history of the SEC, which dates back to 1980, that two black coaches have met. And notably there are two black women who are there for the first time.
“When two black technicians are in the SEC finals, we are reflecting what the rest of the country can look like when you give black women the opportunity to lead some programs,” said Staley after South Carolina won her place with 67-52 victory over Tennessee on Saturday.
“When two black head coaches are in the SEC finals [Women’s Tournament], we’re reflecting what the rest of the country can look like when you give black women the opportunity to run some programs. “
–@dawnstaley pic.twitter.com/JyaxpDSqaN
– SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 7, 2021
Staley has been a constant in this final game and won her sixth SEC tournament title as a coach, after a 67-62 win from South Carolina.
“My heart is full. It is full,” said Staley in the post-game interview. “It’s full because, you know, – and people say you’re making it a running thing. It’s not a running thing. It’s an opportunity thing. An opportunity for black women to be able to experience it. It means something. It seems a little different than in my coaching career to have someone black for whom you are fighting in a tournament, any championship. “
Two other black coaches won conference titles from the Power 5 tournament, in addition to Staley. Carolyn Peck trained Purdue for Big Ten titles in 1998 and 99, and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke trained Southern Cal for a Pac-12 title in 2014.
The milestone of the first meeting of black coaches in a game for the Power 5 title dates back to 1978, when the women’s ACC tournament began. The Big Ten came in 1995, the Big 12 in 1997 and the Pac-12 (formerly Pac-10) in 2002.
Gamecocks win 6th title in 7 years
South Carolina has moved far enough away in the third quarter to provide protection against Georgia. It is the sixth title in seven years, joining the 2015-18 and 2020 trophies. They have not been the SEC champions of the regular season this year since losing to Texas A&M on the last day of the regular season.
Gamecocks are positioned to be the # 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and are currently ranked # 7 in the country. They ran perfectly through central star Aaliyah Boston, who finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, the best mark in the game. She added four blocks and a theft. His 10-in-12 mark on the free throw line was crucial in a game that reached the final minutes.
Destanni Henderson scored 18 points with nine rebounds and three assists. She and Boston scored all points in the fourth period for South Carolina.
Zia Cooke punched a 3-point hoop in the first half to tie the game at 35-35 and the team scored 3 of 6 points out of 3 while hitting Georgia 40-31.
Georgia ready to make some noise at the tournament
Taylor, elected coach of the year at the conference on Tuesday, is still trying to win her first SEC title as a coach. She is in her sixth season at the helm and celebrated her birthday on Sunday.
Their programs exceeded expectations and this year ended with an overall record of 18-5, including 10-5 in the regular SEC season. They defeated three teams in the top 25 this year, including the program’s first sweep in Tennessee since 1985.
Bulldogs, ranked 16th in the country, have fallen short of their first SEC tournament since 2001, but are in a good position to delve into the NCAA tournament. The seniors provided the spark at the start and kept it with Gamecocks, favorites for the title, after dropping the tournament’s No. 1 seed in the Aggies on Saturday.
That Morrison led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds. She hit two of three points out of 3, including a late one who cut the lead to a bucket. Center Jenna Staiti had 10 points, five rebounds and an assist. The Bulldogs made fewer trips to the line compared to South Carolina and failed to beat most of Boston on the boards as much as they would have liked.
They also had 15 twists, many as a temporary call in a ball possession game, minutes remaining in bad times.
Georgia has won four SEC championships, all with former coach Andy Landers.
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