‘We’re gonna win’: Dawn Staley predicts Super Bowl victor as Eagles battle Chiefs

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, wearing a Randall Cunningham Philadelphia Eagles jersey, mingled with Gamecock fans after Sunday’s 88-64 win over LSU. As she made her way around the Colonial Life Arena floor, one fan gave her a mammoth-sized Philadelphia Eagles chain.

Staley wore that chain to the postgame press conference, with the hulking piece of jewelry draping down her neck and the Eagles logo spreading across her chest.

Staley — a Philadelphia native — said Wednesday that she’d wear that same basketball gameday jersey to a Super Bowl party. After the conclusion of the Gamecocks home win over LSU, her mind shifted to the Eagles.

“We’re gonna win,” Staley said. “We are gonna win. I do believe it’s our time, and I do believe that it’s divine intervention.”

The Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday in pursuit of the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory. The Chiefs are looking for their third.

Staley has supported the Eagles on social media throughout the season, and represented them with her outfits on the sideline. She’s worn the jerseys of current quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Hall of Fame defenders Reggie White and Brian Dawkins during games.

Staley keeps in touch with Hurts and reached out to him after the Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. She told him to secure just one more win and clinch the title.

“Let’s go,” Hurts replied back.

South Carolina’s Sunday game against LSU preceded the Super Bowl and featured the final two undefeated teams in college basketball, tipping off four and a half hours before the NFL’s big game. The Gamecocks-Tigers game sold out and was nationally televised on ESPN.

“It’s great to play against the top three team in the country in this type of environment,” Staley said. “And the build-up — we’re competing with Super Bowl coverage. I thought it was highly publicized and I thought a lot of people were anticipating watching the game. I’d be interested to see what the (ratings) are when they come out.”

South Carolina won Sunday’s game off the strength of Aliyah Boston’s efforts, as she ended with 14 points and nine rebounds. Kierra Fletcher provided strong perimeter defense for the Gamecocks with her second-half assignment of guarding and slowing down LSU guard guard Alexis Morris.

But both players made their highest IQ move of the day after the game: not betting against Staley’s Eagles.

“Philly, all day,” Fletcher quickly responded when asked for a Super Bowl prediction, with Boston backing her up.