According to Columbia reporter, WIS' Caroline Hecker, South Carolina head women's basketball coach Dawn Staley has filed a defamation lawsuit against Missouri athletics director Jim Sterk regarding his comments about Staley after South Carolina hosted Missouri at Colonial Life Arena on January 28.

Sterk made public comments stating South Carolina has an “unhealthy” environment that saw his players spit on and “called the n-word” and accused Staley of “promoting that type of atmosphere.”

Sterk, USC athletics director Ray Tanner, and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey have since spoken and met with no further action taken up until this point.

Staley and the Gamecocks host LSU on Thursday night, a 6:30 p.m. tip-off.