Thee Dawn Staley had WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson in tears thanks to a ridiculous hat she rocked on the bench ahead of South Carolina's showdown with LSU.

In a top-five matchup between the past two national champions, No. 5 LSU (20-0, 5-0 SEC) will play at No. 2 South Carolina (18-1, 6-0 SEC) Friday afternoon in Colonial Life Arena at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN as the Tigers put their unbeaten record on the line.

For the uninitiated, the ending of the 2024 SEC Championship game between Staley’s Gamecocks and Kim Mulkey’s Tigers was muddied by an on-court altercation. LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson intentionally fouled USC’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, which led to Johnson shoving USC’s Ashlyn Watkins. And that led to USC’s Kamilla Cardoso pushing Johnson to the ground.

Everything to know about when, where and how to watch South Carolina women's basketball vs LSU, a showdown between Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey.

Dawn Staley is now the highest-paid women’s basketball coach in the country. South Carolina’s Board of Trustees approved new contract extension for Staley on Friday that will pay her $4 million a season. Staley’s new annual salary marks an $800,000 raise from the $3.2 million she was making this season.

South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley's contract allows here to leave for WNBA, NBA jobs. Why she says she won't.

A top-4 showdown between No. 4 LSU women's basketball and No. 2 South Carolina happens Thursday night inside Colonial Life Arena. Here's how to watch.

No. 5 LSU heads to No. 2 South Carolina on Friday for a 5 PM tipoff. Two heated matchups last season, including in the SEC championship, fostered competitiveness from the teams led by two of the best head coaches in the game.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrates after the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women's NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) AP

Here are CBS Sports' midseason awards.  Hannah Hidalgo is a versatile guard who is impactful on both ends of the court. She is one of the top scorers in the nation, averaging 25.4 points per game thanks to her ability to score at all three levels.

South Carolina and LSU meet on Friday for the first time since their scuffle in the SEC championship game last season. Here's a look back at the incident: