Gamecock Digest

South Carolina Reveals Statue Honoring Women's Basketball Coach Dawn Staley

The City of Columbia unveiled the statue on Wednesday.
Alex Joyce|
Apr 5, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks to media before practice at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Apr 5, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks to media before practice at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, the City of Columbia revealed a statue at the University of South Carolina to honor Gamecocks women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley.

The City of Columbia announced the statue on Monday in honor of the program Staley has built since arriving in 2008. In that time, Staley has amassed a 475-110 overall record to go along with three national championships and nine SEC titles.

When the statue was unveiled, Renee Brown, Staley’s former USA Basketball Women’s National Team assistant coach, had this to say: “She’s used to gold, but bronze ain’t bad today." The statue is located next to the University of South Carolina Pastides Alumni Center.

Staley took the stage and spoke about what the statue meant for her. She said she hopes girls of the future will see the statue and look her up. Hoping they will find someone who was a "champion for equity and equality."

I agreed to the statue, not for me, but for the girl who will walk by one day and wonder who I was," Staley said. "Maybe, she’ll look me up. She’ll see that I did some things in basketball, of course, but I hope she sees much more. I hope she sees that I was a champion for equity and equality, that in my own way, I pushed for change, that I stood proudly in the space God called me to inhabit, but as a regular gurl who used her gifts to open doors so other girls wouldn’t have to knock as hard.”

Staley has built quite the legacy in Columbia. To go along with all the hardware, the Gamecocks, under Staley's watch, have made the NCAA tournament every single season dating back to 2011 outside of the 2020 season when the tournament was cancelled.

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Alex Joyce
ALEX JOYCE

Alex Joyce is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism. Alex began his career in television as a news and sports reporter. During his career, Alex has been able to cover everything from breaking news to the game’s brightest moments. His passion for journalism drives him to deliver compelling stories and to connect with his audiences.

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