Staley has been the head coach at South Carolina since 2008, and she just won her third NCAA championship with the Gamecocks. Last week, the Gamecocks made Staley the highest-paid women's basketball coach ever with a contract extension that will keep her with the program until 2030.

The SEC has been the toughest conference this women's college basketball season, and Thursday features a marquee showdown between No. 2 South Carolina and No. 5 LSU. The Tigers are one of only two teams still undefeated,

Playing defending national champion South Carolina was already difficult enough. But how the Gamecocks have responded to their toughest loss of this season makes them even more formidable. We're not talking about their lone loss,