āIt wasnāt a great atmosphere,ā Sterk said. āIt was really kind of unhealthy, if you will. We had players spit on, and called the N-word, and things like that. It was not a good environment and unfortunately, I think coach Staley promoted that kind of atmosphere, and itās unfortunate that she felt she had to do that.ā
Sterkās comments come two days after ninth-ranked South Carolina defeated 11th-ranked Missouri 64-54 in a game marred by second-quarter tussle that resulted in the ejection of two Tigers players. Video proof of Sterkās accusations has yet to surface, but others affiliated with the Missouri womenās basketball program have corroborated his version of events.