South Carolina coach Dawn Staley on A’ja Wilson and former players – Source: Imagn

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is the first black coach, both male and female, to win three Division 1 basketball titles. Her success story as a coach has largely been credited to her connection to her players, including A’ja Wilson, who currently plays for the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA.

In an interview shared by News 19 WLTX on YouTube on March 14, 2024, Staley described her relationship with her players.

Asked how she felt about watching her “babies” grow and become the biggest names in the WNBA, Dawn Staley replied:

“I mean, I sit back and I’m really just proud. I never birth a child, but I’ve come close, having so many current and former players. I know what a mother’s love feels like. I know what a mother’s pride feels like. I know what it feels like to see a young person succeed.” (2:02 – 2:19)

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Aside from Wilson, fellow Gamecocks alums Aliyah Boston and Allisha Gray were also named All-Stars last season.

As a former college athlete herself, Staley is known to have fought for her players, including advocating for the Name Image and Likeness (deals) as an opportunity for athletes to make money through endorsements and sponsorships.

Dawn Staley reveals why she wants A’ja Wilson to have the only statue with South Carolina

Dawn Staley coached A’ja Wilson at South Carolina from 2014 to 2018. The coach won her first NCAA championship with Wilson in 2017. Under Staley’s tutelage, Wilson holds the program’s career records in points with 2,389. She also had 363 blocked shots, 597 free throws and 835 attempted free throws.

In February 2023, Columbia’s mayor announced a statue to honor Staley for her contributions to the rise of the Gamecocks in college basketball. The statue was crafted by Sydney and London-based sculptors Gillie and Marc Schattner and arrived from Australia in June 2024.

While acknowledging her impact in college women’s basketball, Dawn Staley said she preferred Wilson to have the only statue with the program.

“I mean, I was really taken aback,” she said. “I wanted A’ja Wilson to have the only statue, I did really. I was living through her, right? Because it’s something that doesn’t happen very often and it doesn’t happen very often to a young person for what my statue would stand for.” (3:50)

“I can stand behind because it is giving women an opportunity to be presented in a way of having a statue because not many men, women are bestowed this honor.”

Wilson became the first SC women’s basketball player to have a statue, which was installed in front of Colonial Life Arena in January 2021.