South Carolina’s Dawn Staley becomes force on, off the court

By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has gone through a consequential year of success, both on and off the basketball court. Along the way, Staley has become the voice of leadership and direction in the women’s game. She jokes often that she never planned to get into coaching before accepting the job at Temple even though she has always had in her. Staley’s role as an elite point guard during her playing career was to be the coach on the floor. She recently won her second NCAA Tournament crown — the first Black coach to accomplish the feat. Her success has given Staley the platform to champion issues off the court. She continues to speak out about gender equity, diversity and opportunities for women.