South Carolina's Dawn Staley Says UConn Will 'Start a New Streak' After Sweet 16 Loss

University of Connecticut women's basketball will dominate in 2023 even after the team failed to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in 16 years, said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley.

During a press conference Sunday ahead of South Carolina's Elite Eight matchup against Maryland on Monday, Staley said she expects UConn to start a new streak next year.

"UConn is going to continue to be UConn," Staley said. "They're going to reload. If you see their roster that's coming in and who they're bringing back next year, they'll reload. They'll start a new streak."

The Huskies' elimination Saturday in a 73-61 Sweet 16 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes finished off a season marred by injuries.

In addition to the season-long losses of Paige Bueckers to an ACL tear and Ice Brady to a dislocated patella, UConn suffered so many injuries that the team only had 10 players available in four out of 34 games, according to CT Insider.

Even facing a total of 116 combined games lost to injury, the Huskies won their 10th consecutive conference championship before being eliminated in the Sweet 16.

"It's not over," Staley said. "It's a scary thing because they lost a lot more games than they normally lose. But they were hampered by injuries, and once they get healthy, once they get Paige back, once this year's recruiting class is able to play and who they'll bring in, it's back to the drawing board."

Staley knows just how the confident Buckeyes, who advanced to the program's first Elite Eight in 30 years with their historic elimination of the Huskies, are feeling. After all, she understands what it means for a team to best UConn.

Last year, the Gamecocks and Huskies met on April 3 for the 2022 NCAA title game, and South Carolina's 64-49 victory marked a turning point for the Gamecocks.

The team has not lost a single game since that victory and will now head into Monday's Elite Eight matchup with a perfect 35-0 record.

"You get a chance to beat UConn, it's always going to be a big win for you and your program," Staley said.

The Gamecocks will tip off against the Maryland Terrapins at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, while the Buckeyes will take on the Virginia Tech Hokies at 9 p.m. in a pair of Elite Eight matchups.