“Percentage of black women winning a national championship is slim to none”: When Dawn Staley shared inspiring story of the “net worth”
Dawn Staley is arguably one of the most inspirational figures in women's college basketball today. While she has turned the South Carolina Gamecocks into regular title contenders every season as their coach, she is also setting an example with her work off the court, inspiring others with an affinity for the game.
In 2023, ESPN shared a video about her story following the 2017 national championship. Staley suffered heartbreak as a player during her college basketball player when she was part of the Virginia Cavaliers team that lost to the Tennessee Volunteers in the 1991 NCAA Tournament title.
After a short playing career, Dawn Staley became the head coach of Temple Owls before taking the top job at South Carolina in 2008. She looked up to former Purdue coach Carolyn Peck, who became the first black woman to coach her team to a championship win with the victory in 1999.
Staley revealed how Peck inspired her to make history at the Gamecocks with a piece of the net from her championship victory. A promise was made that if the South Carolina coach won the NCAA championship, she would return Peck's net piece and give her (Staley) net to another coach.
"The percentage of black women winning the national championship is slim to none," said Staley. "But, she gave me something tangible to look at, to feel."
"It just seems like that national championship is getting further and further away, you had that piece of the net. She gave me, as a black coach, that ray of hope that you need."
Dawn Staley followed up on Peck's request with a special gesture
Dawn Staley made history in 2017, ending her wait for the national championship by leading the Gamecocks to a 67-55 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
After showing off Carolyn Peck's piece of her net in the post-game press conference, Staley continued the tradition by inviting a few black women's basketball coaches — including Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey and Arizona coach Adia Barnes — and gifting each one a piece of her net.
"I struggle to pick just one other coach to keep the tradition alive, until I realized I don't want to pick just one," Staley said. "Looking at the net, the strings knotted together to form a crucial piece of equipment in our game. I realize that's what we, as black women head coaches are."
"So, I pick all of you to receive this piece of our 2017 national championship in the hope that making our goal tangible will inspire you as it did me," she added.
Dawn Staley added two more championship titles to her cabinet - 2021/22 and 2023/24. While her South Carolina team is favored to defend their title this season, they are expected to face stiff competition in the coming months.