Dawn Staley Discusses How Chloe Kitts Is Meeting South Carolina’s Expectations

In a statement-making performance, the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team solidified their claim as the top seed for the NCAA Tournament with a commanding victory over the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Conference Tournament championship on March 9.

Junior forward Chloe Kitts was a standout in the game, contributing 15 points and 9 rebounds in just 30 minutes on the floor. Her exceptional performance throughout the tournament earned her the prestigious SEC Tournament MVP award.

During a candid Q&A with WSLAM published on March 10, Kitts discussed the pressures of playing for such a storied program like South Carolina. “You have to realize that you go through highs and lows. Everyone goes through highs and lows. You might have a good stretch of games, you might have a horrible stretch of games. You just have to find a healthy balance and know that everything’s gonna be OK,” she shared.

Clearly, Kitts has found that balance. On March 11, during her appearance on Carolina Calls, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley praised Kitts’ growth and tenacity, attributing her recent surge in performance to her unwavering dedication and training. “She’s a dawg playing this game,” Staley said, as shared in an X post by Michael Sauls of The State.

Staley further remarked, “This is the Chloe we projected when we started recruiting her.”

Kitts, notably, is one of three players on South Carolina’s current roster who did not participate in the McDonald’s All-American game. However, that decision was not due to a lack of skill, as Kitts was ranked as ESPN’s No. 17 player in her class. Instead, her early graduation from high school rendered her ineligible for the prestigious event.

Now, with her “dawg” mentality in full force, the Gamecocks are counting on Kitts to help secure yet another National Championship trophy.