While South Carolina took the first-round game against the Jaguars by storm, winning 103-34, it was head coach Dawn Staley's words postgame that hit harder.

“I’ll say that I usually get behind things that I’m passionate about. I was a recipient of body shaming when I was growing up. Obviously, I’m short. I’ve got big shoulders. I got a big head, big hands, big feet. When you’re growing up as a girl, you’re called many different names, and you have to be stronger in situations.” Staley said in the post-match press conference.

Staley has never shied away from her truth, as she powerfully reflected her tie with Dove's "The Game is Ours" movement. The movement was a 30-second commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, talking about how 1 in 2 girls quit sports because they were criticized for their appearance.

Staley further gave an example of her player, Raven Johnson, highlighting how even the elite athletes suffer from body image. Johnson has expressed her insecurities about her arms before, something which Staley was quick to turn into praise.

“Raven doesn’t like her arms. She’s got great arms. Are they muscular? Yes. But in order for her to play at the level she has to play, she has to have them. And I got the most compliments when I did have arms. So you have to combat some of the things that are being said about women athletes who have to do certain things in order for them to compete at a high level.”

This message becomes even more prominent considering Staley's impact on the sport. She was already a women's basketball icon long before becoming a legendary coach. In her collegiate career, she led the Cavaliers to three Final Four appearances and a national championship game in 1991. She finished her career as a two-time National Player of the Year and left as one of the most decorated players in program history.

But the six-time WNBA All-Star's impact was arguably even greater on the international stage, winning three consecutive gold medals with Team USA alongside a FIBA World Championship.

Dawn Staley is Used to Taking the Road Less Travelled

Staley's stance on body image is rooted in a career defined by resilience and breaking barriers, even when the odds were typically not in her favour.

This reality was evident even when she decided to take a step into the NBA coaching conversation, interviewing for the head coach role with the New York Knicks back in August last year.

While she ultimately was not selected, this instance proved Staley challenging long-standing norms in a league that has not yet hired a female head coach.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar