Dawn Staley, one of the most respected figures in women’s basketball and the architect behind the South Carolina Gamecocks’ rise to national prominence, delivered a passionate and heartfelt statement this week in support of her former players now making waves in the WNBA. In typical Staley fashion, her words blended pride, conviction, and a strong reminder of what her program stands for—not just on the court, but off of it.
With a growing number of South Carolina alumni becoming household names in professional basketball, including A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke, Destanni Henderson, and others, Staley took the opportunity to publicly celebrate the impact her former players are having at the next level. But she didn’t stop there. She also used the moment to address critics and challenge the larger basketball community to acknowledge the excellence and leadership that her
