South Carolina’s Staley switches from U.S. team to college mode

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley began fall practice Thursday, hoping her experience leading some of the world’s best players to a FIBA World Cup crown can help mold the young Gamecocks into a championship group.

Staley was leading practice on campus, just four days after guiding the U.S. national women’s basketball team to its third consecutive World Cup title in the Canary Islands in Spain.

Staley knows she won’t have U.S. stars Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart or even former Gamecocks national player of the year A’ja Wilson at South Carolina, but believes some of the lessons learned can impact her college season.

“I think for me, it’s putting me in a basketball mode a lot sooner,” Staley said of her time with the U.S. squad. “Just playing at that level and seeing how they operate, some of that stuff will translate.”

The Gamecocks will need every bit of what Staley learned overseas this upcoming season. It’s their first without Wilson, the 6-foot-5 All-American who helped South Carolina win four consecutive Southeastern Conference tournament crowns and the 2017 NCAA national championship.

Staley said many times with the World Cup team, she went to “position-less basketball,” more concerned with taking advantage of mismatches than going with the traditional two guards, two forwards and center lineup.