NCAA TOURNAMENT

NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

Thousands of fans turned out to Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama to cheer on the South Carolina women’s basketball team in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament, including a tiny fan who left with a souvenir on their onesie.

Following No. 1 South Carolina’s 54-50 Elite Eight win over the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils on Sunday, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley stayed back to sign autographs for fans in the stands. Instead of a piece of paper, shirt or hat, one fan in particular offered up their baby for Staley to autograph. She obliged and signed the baby’s onesie as spectators awed. The baby was dressed in South Carolina colors, wearing a Garnet bow and black jersey.

Staley has a special relationship with young fans. She dons beaded bracelets and necklaces from children in the hospital, including one from a young man who has sickle cell disease, and two necklaces from Blakely, a young girl going through cancer treatments. Staley met her while visiting the UVA children’s hospital in 2023. 

“For us, it’s our world, it’s our passion, it’s what we do,” Staley said earlier this month. “It’s really just basketball when you put it in perspective of what other people have to go through.”

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South Carolina celebrated its Elite Eight win over Duke by cutting down the nets. The defending champion Gamecocks advance to their fifth consecutive Final Four, where they will face the winner of No. 1 Texas or No. 2 TCU in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Contributing: Olivia Noni 

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