As Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks prepare for Friday’s Final Four matchup with the NC State Wolfpack, the coach’s media availability on Thursday featured an important discussion.
Do you lie down or do you lay down?
It’s one of the most common mix-ups in the English language, as it very specifically depends on what the subject of the sentence is when you’re using the word.
Staley took the time to address this, while referencing a tweet she sent earlier and then arriving at a hilarious conclusion.
Is it lying or laying?
For those of you who missed @dawnstaley's opening statement today and need a laugh:@wachfox @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/mJxA2CaEF4
— amanda (@amanda_1815) April 4, 2024
“I have a brief question, ’cause you guys are writers. I just posted a tweet, and we had a long discussion in our coaches meeting. Our players were in the locker room, lying or laying down?” Staley asked.
Upon being told “lying” is the correct form of the word, Staley came up with a great way to remember it. “I told our coaches, someone taught me, you lie to get laid, right?” She said as the room filled with laughter.
Staley is in the midst of her fourth straight Final Four appearance as she and the Gamecocks look to win the NCAA Women’s Tournament for the first time since 2022 after being foiled by Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four last season. South Carolina will have an opportunity for a rematch against Iowa should the Gamecocks beat NC State and the Hawkeyes beat the UConn Huskies Friday night.
