South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is doubling down on some comments she made about people who don’t believe in God the other day.
Following the Gamecocks’ win over Oregon State in the Elite Eight, Staley thanked God as she so often does. But she then caused some people to bristle by declaring that “if you don’t believe in God, something is wrong with you.”
“God is really, he’s really funny,” Staley said earlier this week, via Jasone Pearson. “The devastating loss that we had last year, to put us back here with a totally different scene. If you don’t believe in God, something is wrong with you, seriously.”
A statement like that understandably made some people online upset. But Staley isn’t planning to retract it any time soon.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Staley said that it’s a figure of speech and if people can’t appreciate that then they should listen to someone else speak. She declared that she will not apologize and will continue praising God as much as she wants.
“What if I said, ‘If you don’t watch women’s basketball, there’s something seriously wrong with you’? Staley said, via Beth Hoole of Fox Carolina. “Would you take it as threatening as somebody took the other [quote]? I mean, it’s a figure of speech, if you can’t comprehend that, then tune me out. Tune me out because I’m not here to offend anybody. That is not my make-up. That’s not my character; so if you’re just tuning in for one interview and you probably heard it from somebody else who heard it from somebody else and it’s hearsay, then you can have your take on it.”
“I’m not apologizing. I’m not gonna apologize for what I said and what I feel because I know my life and I know why things have happened in my life; and I’m gonna salute God as much as I can because I know it’s not just my doing.”
“I’m not going to apologize for what I said or what I feel because I know my life & why things have happened in my life.”
I also asked @dawnstaley about the reaction to her courtside post-game interview on Sunday. She puts it in some context here.@GamecockWBB @foxcarolinanews pic.twitter.com/SHc4mUXqsA
— Beth Hoole (@bethhooleTV) April 4, 2024
Staley’s Gamecocks face NC State tomorrow and a win over the Wolfpack will result in a trip to the national title game this Sunday.
If the Gamecocks win either of those games, she’ll be praising God even more.