Dawn Staley highlights NIL impact as South Carolina and TCU rely on transfer portal strategies

Dawn Staley made it clear that recruiting in college basketball is not the same anymore, especially with the transfer portal becoming more active. As the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball get ready to face the TCU Horned Frogs women's basketball team in the Elite Eight, she admitted that money has become one of the first things discussed with players.

Earlier, conversations used to focus more on education and long-term plans. Now, things have changed. “How much is it going to cost us? That’s the conversation. You’ve got to lead with that,” Staley said, explaining how quickly finances come up when talking to transfers.

With NIL opportunities growing, many players entering the portal are looking closely at what programs can offer financially. Staley said she prefers being honest instead of promising something that may not work out later. If the budget doesn’t match expectations, she simply moves on rather than wasting time.

Even with this shift, South Carolina still keeps academics important. Almost every player under Staley has completed their degree, showing that the program still values education alongside basketball.

On the other side, TCU has fully embraced the transfer portal. Their roster has been built mostly through transfers over the past few years, including key players like Olivia Miles. Head coach Mark Campbell believes the portal has helped grow the program quickly. “We’ve built our program literally all through the portal,” he said.

As both teams meet with a spot in the Final Four on the line, the game also reflects a bigger change in college basketball, where talent decisions are now just as much about money as they are about the game itself.