With 5:59 left in the third quarter between Texas A&M and South Carolina on Sunday, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley pulled junior guard Doniyah Cliney from the game.
The reason why wasn’t a mystery to anyone watching — Cliney, one of only three USC players to start every game this season, was struggling mightily. Through the first four minutes of the second half, she had made just one of six field goal attempts, most of them open looks she just couldn’t connect on.
“Doniyah was open the entire game,” Staley said. “In the first half, she’s like, ‘I’m open, should I not take this shot?