By Michael Sauls March 18, 2025 9:20 AM University of South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley yells to the team during the second half of action in the SEC Tournament at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville on Sunday, March 9, 2025.

Tracy Glantz [email protected] The Coker University women’s basketball team got a nice surprise from South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley last week. Staley sent a video congratulating the Cobras ahead of their first-ever trip to the DII NCAA Tournament.

“Congratulations on the historic season,” Staley said in the video.

“You’re going to the NCAA tournament. I need you all to keep that same energy, keep that same energy, keep your same habits. Listen to your coach, dap your teammates up and please, please win at all costs.

Congratulations, good luck!” The players on Coker’s women’s basketball team were ecstatic while watching the video. Several players sat in stunned silence and almost all of them pulled out their phones to record the moment.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coker University WBB (@cokeruniversitywbb) Since that video, Coker (29-5) has gone on an impressive run in the DII NCAA Tournament.

Coker — located in Hartsville, South Carolina — has won three straight games to start the tournament and punched a ticket to the DII Elite Eight in Pittsburgh on Monday.

Coker defeated Belmont Abbey 58-50 in the Round of 64, Carson-Newman 48-44 in the Round of 32 and North Georgia 64-54 in the Sweet 16.

The Cobras received an at-large bid after falling short to Anderson in the SAC Tournament Championship game.

Coker won’t know its Elite 8 opponent until Tuesday afternoon. In the DII tournament, teams are reseeded following the conclusion of each Sweet 16 matchup. Michael Sauls