South Carolina women's basketball is playing Coppin State in a rare road game on Jan. 18, here's why the Gamecocks are traveling for the game.
Darrell Mosley was an assistant coach at Arizona State with no clue that a social media post from Dawn Staley would ultimately impact him two years later.
On Aug. 9, 2024, Staley used social media to schedule a home-and-home series, expressing a need for one more non-conference game for South Carolina women's basketball's 2024-25 schedule.
Three days later, she gave an update, writing "We gotta game yall. Paperwork is not complete but we are good for it! I love my HBCUs!"
According to records obtained by The Greenville News, the game contract for a home-and-home series with Coppin State was signed Aug. 24, 2024, agreeing to a home game in Columbia on Nov. 14, 2024 followed by a trip to Baltimore in the 2025-26 season.
But that was under former coach Jermaine Woods who is now the coach of Norfolk State women's basketball.
Mosley was hired as Coppin State's new head coach on April 14, 2025, inheriting the final game of the contract that features a rare January non-conference road game on Jan. 18 (noon ET, ESPN+).
In some ways, it's a full circle moment for Mosley.
"I wouldn't say we're besties, but I definitely know coach Staley. We text from time to time," Mosley told The Greenville News. "She's been somebody that when I was a Division II head coach I reached out to, called a couple of times just for some advice in the business ... she's great people."
Mosley spent 2015-21 at Lincoln University, and sought out Staley's advice for when he was trying to navigate making the jump to the next level. Staley coached at Temple from 2000-08 which is Division I but she had a decision to make too when taking a big leap to coach at a program like South Carolina.
Even after Mosley adjusted, he remained in touch with Staley.
"I would text her, 'hey great pick up on that recruit, happy birthday, happy holidays' and she will always respond," Mosley said. "Someone that busy, such a big name, she's definitely always humble and open to responding, as we got closer that way I was like, let me just pick up the phone to try to get some advice from one of the top coaches in the country."
How big matchups impact HBCUs
Beyond the cool moment that will be shaking hands with Staley before and after the game, South Carolina's visit gives Coppin State more than just a Staley appearance.
"It's a big revenue (draw) for HBCUs" Mosley said. "We're not well funded so drawing ticket sales at the door. A regular game we have 200 people in the building, just (Staley) coming to play it's going to probably be roughly 4,000 people. The university is able to capitalize on that revenue."
It's not just ticket sales but concessions and parking, all lucrative benefits in the era of NIL and revenue sharing where school's can directly impact their programs with money drawn from games like this one.
"It's great advertisement, good sense for recruits on our level that these are the type of teams we're playing against," Mosley said. "The biggest thing is what better weekend to do it than MLK weekend. It's great competition but also giving back to the HBCUs."
Staley is from Philadelphia so the proximity to Baltimore will bring some love from her devoted fan base in the northeast in addition to the crowd from Coppin State who doesn't want to miss the three-time national champions trip to campus.
"I like to go on the road and I like to go into an environment like an HBCU," Staley said on the radio Jan. 12. "It can give our players a different experience of playing in their arena, they're going to pack their gym I'm sure ... it's a cool environment, cool to have us come up there."
Staley said she hopes she's asked to talk to donors to inspire financial support to the women's basketball team.
"It's usually (smaller conference teams) having to come to us, why not return the favor, it's for the greater good of the game," Staley said. "When I was at Temple, not all the top teams would play us so I try to grow the game in ways most people don't grow it."
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why South Carolina women's basketball has road game vs Coppin State
Category: General Sports
