South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley admitted that having a statue was “unimaginable” when she started her basketball career.
Staley is one of the most revered coaches in women’s basketball. She has won three national championships with the Gamecocks since 2017, including going 38-0 in the 2023-24 season to become the first undefeated NCAA Tournament champions since the UConn women accomplished the feat in 2016.
The feat was particularly impressive as South Carolina lost five starters from the 2023 team that reached the Final Four. South Carolina then lost four key players to the 2024 WNBA Draft, but the program reloaded and returned to the national championship game, where it suffered a blowout defeat to Paige Bueckers’ UConn…