Dawn Staley reacts: What went wrong in South Carolina’s Final Four loss to Iowa

South Carolina lost to Iowa 77-73 on Friday in the Final Four at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Here are some news and notes from head coach Dawn Staley’s postgame press conference about the loss.

On Iowa’s Caitlin Clark: “She was on point. She was everything we saw on film. She was everything -- assists, points, turnovers, all of them. She ran the gamut of who she is as a player.”

On defending Clark, the strategy: “She was just so well-equipped with passing the basketball. I thought we had a couple of miscommunications. ... We put a lot of different people on her. I thought we’d tire her out by putting different people on her. I thought she tired out a little bit but not enough to give us the edge.”

On went wrong: “We had three turnovers in a row at a crucial time in the fourth quarter that if we converted we might be standing here a little bit differently and preparing for LSU, but that didn’t take place.”

On Aliyah Boston: “She’s a complete person. She’s a great human being. You can tell she’s got great parenting and a great foundation. She’s somebody you want to build your program around.”

On Boston’s next steps and advice Staley has for her (WNBA): I’d tell her to go. There are defenses that are played against her (in college) that won’t allow her to play her game. It’s hard to officiate that. She’s great. She’s ready. She’s ready to see single coverage. She’s meant everything to our program. She’s been the cornerstone of our program the last four years. She elevated us. ... She will definitely make her mark at the next level.”

On Boston struggling to get going early: “She’s hard to officiate, especially in this time of environment. I do think she wasn’t allowed freedom of movement. Because of that, she was strapped. But we’ve done that to other people as well. I guess we’re getting a taste of our own medicine.”

On her faith: “I just don’t give honor to God when we win. I want to win all our games. He’s the reason for all seasons. I take the good with the bad. I’m a sore loser, but I’m a gracious loser. I’m going to give credit where credit is due. Iowa had a terrific game plan and we didn’t get it done. ... It wasn’t in the cards. I’m never going to turn my back on the game of basketball. I’m still favored.”

On handling the pressure of being undefeated and coming into Friday 36-0: “I don’t think we felt pressure to win the game. I thought it felt like any other game. We just didn’t perform. We didn’t make the plays that we needed to make down the stretch. That wasn’t us all season long.”

Ask about being regarded by some as bullies on the court: “We’re not bar fighters. We’re not thugs. We’re not monkeys. We’re not street fighters. This team exemplifies how you need to approach basketball on the court and off the court. I do think that’s sometimes brought into the game. And it hurts. ... Watch what you say about our team because it’s wrong. If you really knew them, you would think different. Don’t judge us by the color of our skin. You may not like how we play the game. That’s the way we play. That’s how I coach. We’ve found success in it. ... I’m not changing.”

On Raven Johnson: “Raven is our future. She has great instincts as a point guard. ... She’s going to be a terrific point guard. She’s a pro in the making.”

On playing with a team that loses so rarely: “This is unique because five out of seven of our seniors have a decision to make. It’s less about this loss and more about making a decision and what’s next for them. The returners, they have to get us back here. The Final Four is fun. I don’t like coming other than as a participant and I didn’t have to think about that for three years. I hope the loss, they felt it deeply and they’ll work hard to get back here.”