As South Carolina coach Dawn Staley prepared her team for a showdown with USC on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, she reflected on what it takes to compete on the national stage, USC freshman Jazzy Davidson‘s early success, WNBA negotiations and more.

Her conversation with The Times has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: UCLA coach Cori Close said last year that Staley warned her about the challenges of scheduling once you’ve achieved a certain level of success. Why do these challenges persist and how do you work around them?

“Well, I mean, we don’t know the difference. We just schedule for November, December [with an eye on] March and April. Like, that is how we notoriously and historically have scheduled. And then when you take that next leap, like UCLA’s made the next leap, then you start jockeying for, you know, what is it like to have the overall number one seed? And you really have to schedule towards that. You can write your own script. You can write your own narrative when it comes to doing well, and making sure you’re putting yourself in the right conversation for being the number one overall seed, or just getting the number one seed.”

Q: With regards to this matchup, what are your thoughts on Davidson?

“She’s playing free. She gets the ball in positions where she’s very, very effective. So I don’t think she feels any pressure. I think she feels like this is what she’s supposed to be doing, and she plays well with the ball in her hands, and she makes good decisions, she makes great shots. Just a high-level player. Like, a really high-level player that doesn’t really play like a freshman.”

Q: Do you think USC and UCLA’s success in women’s basketball is sustainable?

“Yeah, as long as you get the players, it’s sustainable. It’s all about getting the players, and, I mean, USC has gotten the top players in the country over the past three years, and it’s all about that. Cori’s done a great job. Cori’s team has been together for a long time, and when you can keep your core group of players together, you’re always gonna put yourself in a position where you’re gonna be OK. So, yes, it’s sustainable.”

Q: The WNBA appears to be generating more interest than ever, but there’s also tension around trying to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. What are your hopes for a new deal?

“I hope there’s no stoppage. I mean, we’re at an all-time high, and I hope the two parties get together and figure out what’s right for the players and what will keep our game. I don’t mind the negotiations that’s happening. I really don’t. Because every sport has had them, right? All of them. It’s a business. There’s a reason why the WNBA doesn’t want to pay the players as much. But the league is profitable. I don’t know the books, you know? And I can see it from both sides, but I also can see it from the side of just a basketball enthusiast that I don’t want to stop. I don’t want the players to settle. I think now it’s time to strike, because there is a lot of money that has been created for the league, and the players need to get their fair share of it.”

Q: What do you hope people see in you beyond what you show?

“I’m a pretty cool cat. I really am. Like, I have fun. I don’t take myself too seriously, and people shouldn’t, right? I say what I mean and I mean what I say. You don’t have to put fake stuff out there that I say. I will say it if I truly believe in it. I just hope people see me for who I’ve been over the years. Who I’ve shown to be, which is, you know, very caring for our sport. Very, very caring. Even at my detriment as a coach or, you know, a person that’s in this game. I just want the game to grow. Just continue to grow, and that little girls are able to realize their dreams, and, boy, they could dream big now. They could dream super big, and they could have a really great career, like, a really money making career where they could create generational wealth. And that’s something that is happening now, which is a great thing. I never thought it would happen in my lifetime. So I’m glad it is.”