Dawn Staley Shares Thoughts on Bree Hall-Madison Booker Feud After South Carolina’s SEC Championship Win Over Texas

In a live update from the SEC Championship, South Carolina’s guard Bree Hall was absolutely locked in after a pre-game remark from Texas’ Madison Booker. Booker, who had reportedly told Hall, “you can’t f***** guard me,”* had unknowingly fueled Hall’s determination.

With the challenge set, Hall was ready to defend Booker, the star sophomore and SEC Player of the Year. It wasn’t until the 1:51 mark of the second quarter that Booker finally hit her first shot. Up until that point, Hall’s relentless defense had kept Booker at bay.

By the end of the game, Booker had only managed 10 points on 4 of 13 shooting, as South Carolina triumphed over Texas, 64-45. Booker also struggled to contribute beyond scoring, failing to record a single assist—marking only the third time this season she had been limited in that area.

South Carolina’s head coach, Dawn Staley, admitted she had no knowledge of the verbal exchange before the game, saying, “I didn’t know that was said to Breezy. I only saw it after the game. That motivated her and gave her the force to win that battle.”

Post-game, Hall was direct about how Booker’s words fueled her performance. In an interview with The Greenville News, Hall stated, “I woke up with the mindset of ‘I have to get her.’ I know after that game (on Feb. 9) Booker had said ‘she can’t f-ing guard me,’ so I said that will be my motivation this game, I have to take that personally.”

It wasn’t the first time Hall had faced off with Booker, and she had always shown an edge in their encounters. Back on January 12, Booker struggled, shooting just 3 of 19 from the field and finishing with only seven points. In their February 9 matchup in Texas, Booker managed 20 points, but her shooting was far from efficient at 7 of 22.

Coach Staley had high praise for Hall’s defensive prowess, especially considering she was overlooked for the SEC All-Defensive Team. “She takes the job nobody wants,” Staley commented. “I tell her, ‘Your defense is going to be something that will carry you in the transition to the next level.’ I hope she hears me. These WNBA franchises have been looking at Bree for four years. They know what she’s best at.”

Overall, Hall’s dominance in this matchup was clear, as she held Booker to just 25.9% shooting in their encounters.