South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, point guard Raven Johnson, and forward Sania Feagin represented the Gamecocks at the SEC Tip-Off in Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday.
The trio all spoke about their experiences in Memphis at the Hoops for St. Jude Tip-Off Classic before host Paul Finebaum moved the conversation to basketball.
Finebaum paid appropriate homage to Staley and the Gamecocks for their recent successes before asking a few questions. No matter which question the broadcasting legend raised, though, every answer came back to Coach Staley’s relationship with her players.
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Finebaum asked both Johnson and Feagin about their upbringings and how their experiences compared to playing for Staley. Johnson shared that her parents supported her by being tough on her, while Feagin’s parents did things a little differently. Even so, both players grew from being class of 2021 5-star prospects to multi-time National Champions who can handle the tough style of their head coach.
That tough style works for Staley because she makes it abundantly clear how much she cares for her players.
When Finebaum asked Johnson about playing for the legendary head coach, the Gamecock point guard answered with a question of her own. “Who wouldn’t want to play for THE Dawn Staley?” the redshirt junior responded. “Just the stuff she does for everyone, it’s not just basketball. She helps everyone. She wants everyone to succeed…she helps us as young girls…She’s like a mother figure, a home away from home. That’s what we love her.”
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Staley understands her players love her, but she still responded humbly to the praise from her point guard. In fact, the best coach in the sport shared that she believes she is where she is today only because of the players on her Gamecock teams. Staley quipped, “I’m blessed…they think I’m helping them, but surely they’re helping me.”
As a Hall of Fame player and coach, Staley has a unique credibility. That credibility gets her in the door with players. From there, though, her influence comes through relationships.
Staley called herself “a dream merchant” who gets to play a role in helping young girls become young women as they fight to reach their basketball dreams. She told Finebaum, “Because of my relationships with my current and former players, we’re able to create a bond that allows us to grow and learn through uncomfortable experiences. That’s the beauty of working with young people.”
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Dawn Staley isn’t just a champion for her players, though. She also is the loudest voice pushing for the growth of women’s basketball. Over the past couple of years, her efforts—partnered with the increasing notoriety of players like A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Aliyah Boston, and Breanna Stewart—have seen the game move into a new realm of widespread popularity.
When Finebaum asked about this growth in women’s basketball, Staley reflected on the sport’s recent achievements. “I think it’s great to be in women’s basketball right now…there are things that are happening that are generational.”
As the generational program during generational growth in women’s basketball, all eyes are on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Coach Staley and her team will open their season in Las Vegas against the Michigan Wolverines. The title defense (or, “Repeat Tour” as Johnson calls it) will begin on November 4th.
