U.S. Senate latest to praise Lady Gamecocks for perfect season

Add the U.S. Senate to the list of legislative bodies congratulating the Lady Gamecocks for winning their third national basketball championship.

A resolution co-sponsored by South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott was adopted over the weekend by the entire Senate.

The University of South Carolina women’s basketball team went undefeated for a 38-0 perfect season, finishing with an 87-75 win over Iowa in the NCAA championship game April 7 in Cleveland. It was the Lady Gamecocks’ second national championship in three years, with the first being in 2017.

Coach Dawn Staley is among just five coaches in women’s basketball to lead at least three championship seasons. She is the first Black coach in Division I history to do so.

“The University of South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team is a shining example of the success that can be achieved through selflessness, perseverance in the face of adversity, and commitment to excellence,” Scott said in a release.

“Watching their championship was a thrill for all of us in the Palmetto State,” he said. “They are the best of the best and make our state so proud!”

The South Carolina House unanimously adopted a resolution honoring the champions April 9, the Legislature’s first day back in session following the big win. Introduced by House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, the resolution was co-sponsored by the entire House.

The South Carolina Senate unanimously passed three separate congratulatory resolutions on the season.

The first, approved March 19, specifically praised Staley after winning her third consecutive SEC Coach of the Year award. It was sponsored by Sen. Mia McLeod, I-Columbia.

The second, adopted April 10 by the Senate, congratulates the coaches and team.

“The pride of the entire Palmetto State, the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team, has once again shown its championship form. The team delivered an exciting and undefeated 2023-2024 season that culminated with a thrilling championship victory,” begins the resolution introduced by Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Hartsville, a USC graduate.

Co-sponsors were McLeod, Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro, and all three Republican women in the chamber.

It noted that the championship game had nearly 19 million viewers, more than any NBA or college basketball game since 2019.

A resolution separately sponsored April 17 by Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-West Columbia, also congratulates the coaches and team. It followed an April 14 parade in downtown Columbia that ended with a pep rally at the Statehouse.

“The team’s motto of nothing beats love rings true,” it reads.