SAN ANTONIO — Joni Taylor sat stoically at the podium while it appeared that tears recently rolled down her face. Jenna Staiti had to wipe tears away as she spoke each word.
Everyone within Georgia’s facility dreaded this moment. They never wanted to say goodbye. The agony of defeat gave them no choice. In a matter of a two-hour basketball game, a nine-month journey came to an end.
“It’s not a fun environment,” Taylor said as she tried to collect her thoughts. “We’re upset. We’re hurt, and it’s really hard to process.”
Georgia bowed out of the NCAA Tournament with a 57-50 loss to sixth-seeded Oregon at the Alamodome on Wednesday. It marked an earlier-than-expected exit for a group that had a recent swing of momentum through the conference tournament and had championship aspirations as a No. 3 seed.
After being healthy for the entire season, the absence of Sarah Ashlee Barker for an unknown reason and limited minutes from Gabby Connally because of an ankle injury proved crucial. Georgia finished its season at 21-7 and had a number of thrilling moments with a group that could be argued as the best in the Taylor coaching era.
The pain of a second-round exit was evident in the final moments of the game and the interactions that followed. The Lady Bulldogs, however, said farewell to four seniors — Connally, Jenna Staiti, Maya Caldwell and Que Morrison — with a glimmer of hope. They believe they put Georgia “back on the map,” as Staiti put it.
“It hurts right now, but I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” she said. “We can’t block out what we’ve done all year.”
Entering the season, Georgia was ranked ninth in the SEC preseason poll. It came off consecutive seasons of being out of the NCAA Tournament field, and hadn’t been in the postseason since hosting as a No. 4 seed in 2018 and losing to Duke in the round of 32.
The Lady Bulldogs used the low media expectation as bulletin-board material and wanted to prove the doubters wrong. They did so by crossing numerous milestones, including 100 career wins for Taylor, 1,000 wins in program history, adding two 1,000-point scorers in Staiti and Connally, reaching the SEC title game for the first time since 2004 and winning the conference’s coach-of-the-year honor for the first time since 1996.
A 14th appearance in the regional semifinals didn’t fall in Georgia’s favor. The perception-altering wins over Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas A&M, however, allowed Taylor to solidify her spot as the program’s leader.
Georgia’s successes were a full-circle moment for the 2017 freshman class, which included fourth-year junior Malury Bates. Taylor made it a point to say that the group could put the Lady Bulldogs back in the national spotlight. Staiti joined the party a year later, but the group did it twice with two tournament appearances.
“We played injured. We played shorthanded. We had ladies out there who played on one leg,” Taylor said. “They will make any sacrifice to their body to play for each other. That’s tremendous. This group of young ladies put Georgia back into the national spotlight.
“They bleed red and black, and that’s what you want. I can’t say how proud I am.”
Georgia overcame hurdles to get to this point, much like every other women’s college basketball program across the country. The Lady Bulldogs had to battle the COVID-19 pandemic from the moment they stepped on campus. The players had to work out in pods before they could convene on the floor and then practice in separate groups before they could even play a game.
Georgia went the entire season with only three postponements or cancellations, and none of them were because of positive tests of their own. Along with the public-health concerns, the Lady Bulldogs highlighted their season with social-justice initiatives to help around the Athens-Clarke County community.
Taylor welcomed open dialogue to discuss the concerns about race and equality. The players started a voting drive to get all athletes registered ahead of the general election. On Nov. 3, Georgia went to volunteer at the polls. Locally, the players and coaches also did water bottle and snack drives for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Athens-Clarke County school district.
Their initiatives highlighted the program’s culture of putting its players ahead of the sport. Taylor instills the people-first approach in every moment — even when she walks into the facilities each morning. She would go into the locker room and say a prayer over each of her players.
“I think she’s top-drawer. I’ve never second-guessed that piece,” former Georgia coach Andy Landers said of Taylor. “I don’t even revisit that in my mind. She has been successful, is successful and is going to continue to be successful. She’s not only an excellent coach. She has the qualities you look for that I would want my daughter around on a daily basis.”
Said assistant coach Chelsea Newton: “Joni is one of the best human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. She is exactly what you see. She cares, loves and values every individual in the program. To be a part of Joni’s staff is an honor, and I don’t think anyone takes that lightly.”
Georgia’s off-court culture piece led to a toughness that Connally said she wanted her legacy to be defined by. The Lady Bulldogs bought into the coaching staff’s pillars of success. They wanted to have success for their teammates and the ones who led them. They grew together, and Staiti said the younger players will be “good as gold” if the approach continues.
Georgia welcomes four freshmen into the fold, and those newcomers have already welcomed the standard instilled by Taylor. The Lady Bulldogs had the 10th-best class nationally, according to ESPN.
“I’m more excited than ever to start at Georgia,” said three-star prospect Kimora Jenkins, who joins Reigan Richardson, Jillian Hollingshead and Alina Sendar as the signees. “I know that I come before basketball. I know that I fit into their culture and that’s a great feeling.”
Georgia saw its season as a success despite the early exit. A quick run didn’t diminish their perception of a year where it believes the foundation is laid for future success once again.
For a tight-knit team, however, the tears come from the inevitable farewell. These Lady Bulldogs never wanted it to end.
“They’re my sisters and they’ll be in my life forever. They mean the absolute world to me,” Staiti said. “Once I transferred from Maryland, they made this my home. There’s no other team and coaching staff I’d want to play for in the country. This team is my family.”
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