How South Carolina women's basketball's 2017 champions are trying to help Dawn Staley repeat

DALLAS – South Carolina women's basketball alums are never that far away from the program.

Especially players from the 2017 championship team, like A'ja Wilson, Allisha Gray and Tyasha Harris, who has been with the Gamecocks since the start of the NCAA Tournament. Harris has been on the South Carolina radio broadcasts since the first round.

Harris' advice has come in handy for senior Zia Cooke and the No. 1 seed Gamecocks (36-0). South Carolina plays No. 2 seed Iowa (30-6) on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at the American Airlines Center.

"I think alums have definitely helped me out a lot, especially with all of the guards," Cooke said Thursday. "With Ty being here with us, she's been giving me tips just to be on the big stage again. Like I said, I want to do the same thing for the younger ones. I've always looked up to Ty, and I think I've done a good job of leading the younger ones in the space I'm in now. So it's just a blessing to be here."

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Harris, Wilson and Gray have all made trips back to Columbia for a practice this season, and they often reach out to the current players.

"They want to support us and give us tips where we are, and they just want to see us grow," senior Aliyah Boston said.

The investment from one championship team to another has had a ripple effect on the Gamecocks senior class, called "The Freshies", who want to have the same lasting relationships as alumni themselves.

"For us helping the underclassmen right now, they're our sisters," Boston said. "We want to see them shine because we understand at some point we're not going to be on the same team as them, and they're going to be the new leaders of the program. So we want them to continue the tradition that we have."

Of all the things that have helped build South Carolina into the title-contending powerhouse, the character and leadership that has been passed down is perhaps the most important. Every season is different, coach Dawn Staley said, but every player who has come through the program has left "a legacy of leadership" that has trickled down for years.

The alums in the WNBA also offer current players insight into their future. It's invaluable for South Carolina's seniors, who will soon face the decision of declaring for the WNBA.

"The former players that come back, the ones that are in the WNBA, they talk more about the WNBA than they do actually this moment that we're in," Staley said. "I'm happy that they get to hear some of their experiences. Some of (the seniors) have got a big decision to make over the next few days. So it's cool that we've got somewhat of a cheat code of having a lot of players in the league to allow them to make an informed decision."