[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 62 (Thursday, April 7, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E370-E371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPION USC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 7, 2022

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the NCAA 
Women's National Basketball Champions for 2022. The University of South 
Carolina Gamecocks have played with tremendous heart and skill 
throughout this season, earning the team its second national title.
  The Gamecocks have been ranked number one the entire season and lost 
just two games by slim margins. During the NCAA tournament, they beat 
No. 8 seed Miami, No. 5 seed University of North Carolina, No. 10 seed 
Creighton and No. 1 seed Louisville, before taking on No. 2 seed and 
perennial powerhouse University of Connecticut (UConn).
  UConn had been in the Final Four for 14 consecutive years. USC made 
the Sweet 16 every year since 2014. In 2017, USC claimed their first 
national championship. The next year, UConn eliminated USC when they 
met the last time in the tournament. The Gamecocks were in a prime 
position to win the tournament in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, USC was eliminated in the Final Four.
  Head Coach Dawn Staley and the USC players were determined that 2022 
was going to be their year. They delivered with a 64-49 victory on 
April 3 in Minneapolis, delivering UConn their first ever loss in the 
championship game.
  I can't say enough about the leadership of Coach Staley. The 
Philadelphia native, and former college, WNBA, and Olympic basketball 
stand-out, has led USC's team since 2008. She built the program from 
scratch, and by the 2013-2014 season, the team won the SEC Conference 
and was the top ranked team nationally. Under her leadership, the 
Gamecocks have won six SEC regular season and SEC tournament 
championships, made it to eight Sweet Sixteens and four Final Fours, 
and now, won two national championships.
  Coach Staley achieved all of this while serving as the U.S. Women's 
National Olympic Team head coach from 2017 to 2021, leading that team 
to a perfect 45-0 record and winning a gold medal. This year she 
received the Naismith Award as the best coach in the Nation for the 
second time and has earned the distinction of being the first Black 
coach in men's or women's Division I basketball history to win more 
than one national championship.
  Coach Staley led a remarkable team with the starting line-up of No. 1 
Zia Cooke, a junior guard from Toledo, Ohio; No. 3 Destanni Henderson, 
a senior guard from Fort Myers, Florida; No. 4 Aliyah Boston, a junior 
forward from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; No. 5 Victaria Saxton, a 
senior forward from Rome, Georgia; and, No. 12 Brea Beal, a junior

[[Page E371]]

guard from Rock Island, Illinois. This remarkable starting line-up was 
assisted by a talented bench of No. 0 Olivia Thompson, a junior guard 
from Lexington, South Carolina; No. 2 Eniya Russell, a sophomore guard 
from Baltimore, Maryland; No. 10 Kamilla Cardoso, a sophomore center 
from Montes Claros, Brazil; No. 11 Destiny Littleton, a senior guard 
from San Diego, California; No. 15 Laeticia Amihere, a junior forward 
from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; No. 20 Sania Feagin, a freshman 
forward from Ellenwood, Georgia; No. 23 Bree Hall, a freshman guard 
from Dayton, Ohio; No. 24 LeLe Grissett, a graduate student guard from 
Durham, North Carolina; No. 25 Raven Johnson, a freshman guard from 
Atlanta, Georgia; No. 32 Elysa Wesolek, a senior forward from 
Charleston, South Carolina; and, No. 44 Saniya Rivers, a freshman guard 
from Wilmington, Nor Carolina.
  A special congratulations to Aliyah Boston, who achieved her 30th 
double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds in the championship game, 
earning her the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. This honor 
completes her sweep of the top national awards. She is also the 
recipient of the 2022 John R. Wooden Award and the Player of the Year 
awards from Naismith, The Associated Press, the Women's Basketball 
Coaches Association, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. She 
was also the SEC Player of the Year and the Lisa Leslie Award winner.
  Other accolades include Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke, and Destanni 
Henderson all making the Final Four All-Tournament Team. Henderson 
scored a career-high 26 points, the most of any player in the 
championship game, and Cooke also provided 11 points and 5 rebounds.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in celebrating 
this remarkable University of South Carolina Women's Basketball team. I 
have had the pleasure of following their season and seeing them play 
many times in person. Their extraordinary talent and leadership made it 
exciting to see their hard work rewarded with the national title. Go 
Gamecocks.

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