South Carolina's Dawn Staley draws strong reactions over remarks about trans participation in women's sports

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South Carolina Gamecocks basketball coach Dawn Staley sparked fierce reactions on social media Saturday after she was asked about transgender participation in women’s sports.

Staley and the Gamecocks outlasted N.C. State in the Final Four Friday night and will face Iowa in the national championship Sunday. During a press conference, OutKick’s Dan Zaksheske asked Staley her thoughts on the burning issue in the U.S.

"I'm of the opinion of, if you're a woman, you should play. If you consider yourself a woman, and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play. That's my opinion. You want me to go deeper?" she said.

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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley watches from the bench during the first half of a Final Four game against North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament April 5, 2024, in Cleveland.  (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

When asked whether she thought "transgender women should be able to participate in women's college basketball," Staley responded, "Yes."

"That's the question you want to ask, I'll give you that. Yes, yes. So, now the barnstormer people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game, and I'm OK with that. I really am," she added.

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Staley’s remarks kicked off a debate on social media.

Riley Gaines, an OutKick contributor who hosts the "Gaines for Girls" podcast, shared her thoughts.

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"Dawn Staley knows perfectly well that men's basketball is a totally different sport than