Legends of the game mini-series: What she said

The beginning: Staley lived and breathed basketball growing up in North Philadelphia. She played pickup with boys in her neighborhood before attending Dobbins Tech High School and leading the Mustangs to three straight Public League championships before being honored as National High School Player of the Year in 1988.

Playing days: Evidently, the Philly product was good good — Staley committed to the University of Virginia and propelled the Cavaliers to three NCAA Final Fours, amassing two National Player of the Year honors and smashing records along the way.

• From there, Staley was part of the women’s pro hoops revolution — she was a two-time ABL All-Star before joining the newly-founded WNBA in 1999 and finishing her six-year W career with five All-Star nods. And the point goddess made her mark on the global stage too, winning three Olympic golds with the U.S. women’s national team. The definition of her.

At the helm: While she was still in the midst of her pro career, Temple’s athletic director convinced Staley to helm their women’s team. She’d go on to lead her hometown Owls to six NCAA Tournament appearances over eight years, becoming the fastest women’s HC to reach 100 wins.

• Then came South Carolina. Staley inherited a struggling program when she was hired in 2008, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long — in 2012, the Gamecocks made the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

• Five years later, Staley became only the second Black woman to lead her team to a national championship and the Gamecocks have been a women’s college hoops juggernaut ever since.

The legacy: Staley’s enduring commitment to racial and gender equality, both in sport and beyond, and her empowerment of marginalized communities makes her truly special. She prioritizes creating opportunities for Black women in basketball and is a vocal advocate for racial equality, all while championing gender equity and community initiatives. A résumé worthy of immortalization.

One: Staley is the first (and so far only) Black HC — men’s or women’s — to win multiple national championships after her Gamecocks cut down the nets in 2017 and 2022.

$22.4M: The seven-year contract extension Staley inked ahead of the 2021-2022 season, keeping her at South Carolina through 2028 and making her the highest-paid Black HC in her sport, along with one of the highest-paid women's coaches in the country. Worth every penny.

38: The number of consecutive weeks South Carolina sat atop the AP Top 25 Poll from 2022 to 2023. The Gamecocks are just the third NCAA program to go wire-to-wire as No.1 in back-to-back seasons.

Seven: South Carolina has tallied seven 30-win seasons over Staley’s 16-year tenure, including a program-record 36 dubs in 2022-23. All they do is win…literally.

Five: The number of South Carolina women’s basketball players who were selected in the 2023 WNBA Draft, tying a single-draft record. That class was highlighted by No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, who still has a special bond with Staley.

Three: The number of Naismith Coach of the Year awards Staley has won to date. And should she win this year (as expected), Staley would become the first HC in NCAA history to win three straight.

“She’s watched me win on every level at this point…Coach Staley is like my second mom… She has really molded me into the player that I am today…I thought that relationship was kind of going to disappear as I got to a pro [level] but we’ve still stayed together.”

— Two-time WNBA MVP and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, describing the moment she shared with her former South Carolina coach after winning the 2023 WNBA title. A forever kind of love.

“I think that what I love and respect about her is that she’s in the game — she’s not in it for money, she’s not in it for this and that — she’s in it to help people. She wants to elevate other people and most people don’t do that. For her to do that means a lot.”

— Arizona women’s basketball HC Adia Barnes, on Staley keeping her promise to fellow hoops legend Carolyn Peck and sending pieces of her first championship net as a HC to all the Black women’s HCs in NCAA DI hoops.

“Just watching her and just seeing her speak up and not be afraid to speak up — you see it on social media, she gets a lot of stuff thrown at her. For her to just have the courage to continue to speak up, continue to be the leader, especially as a woman of color, it’s just amazing to watch.”

— Former South Carolina hooper and 2023 WNBA draftee Brea Beal, on Staley’s enduring advocacy. It’s bigger than ball.

At a time when NCAA women’s basketball is seeing increasing parity, Staley continues to elevate her team and the game — on and off the court. From her unmatched style to her care for the history of the game to her relentless advocacy for the causes she’s passionate about, the list goes on and on. She’s truly one of one.