She’s immortalized in the history books!
In a historic tribute that goes far beyond basketball, Dawn Staley was recently honored with a bronze statue in downtown Columbia, South Carolina—cementing her legacy not just as a championship-winning coach, but as a cultural icon and women’s basketball pioneer, the Lexington County Chronicle reports And in a moment that makes it even sweeter, the city didn’t just stop there. Columbia also officially named a month in her honor, ensuring her story is not only cast in bronze but etched in time.
Surprisingly, it almost didn’t happen. When first approached about the idea of a statue, Staley was hesitant. She didn’t think it was necessary. But conversations with Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and former Gamecock Athletic Director Ray Tanner shifted her perspective. The tipping point? Learning that only 6% of statues in the U.S. depict real women. That number hit hard—and made clear just how powerful representation could be.
“I agreed to the statue, not for me, but for the girl who will walk by one day and wonder who I was,” Staley said during the unveiling ceremony. “Maybe she’ll look me up. She’ll see that I did some things in basketball, of course, but I hope she sees much more. I hope she sees that I was a champion for equity and equality.”
Staley’s bronze likeness now stands tall at the corner of Senate and Lincoln streets, mid-step on a ladder and holding a championship net—a symbol of hard-fought victories and higher goals. Created in partnership with the organization Statues for Equality, the sculpture is as much a beacon as it is a tribute, placed intentionally in the heart of Columbia for all to see.
For the girl who looks up at that statue, Staley wants more than admiration—she wants reflection and activation.
“I stood proudly in the space God called me to inhabit, not as someone perfect or extraordinary, but as a regular girl who used her gifts to open doors so other girls wouldn’t have to knock as hard.”
Staley’s impact has long reached beyond the basketball court. Since taking the helm at South Carolina in 2008, she has turned the Gamecocks into a trailblazing team with three national titles, nine conference championships, and five consecutive Final Four appearances. But her true calling has always been bigger than the game.
“When women aren’t represented, half the population is left out of the retelling of history,” she reminded the crowd, spotlighting her commitment to inclusion and justice. Her words echoed as much as her wins, drawing a wide circle of support that included fans, fellow coaches, local officials, and former players—many of whom credit Staley with changing their lives.
She follows in the footsteps of her former player and now WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson, whose statue was unveiled in 2021 just a mile away. Staley once thought Wilson’s would be the only one, but now she sees the beauty in that shared legacy.
“If that little girl sees that I was the first to do something, I want her to know it was only so I wouldn’t be the last,” Staley said. “But if she wants to see greatness, well, A’ja Wilson is just up the way.”
Together, the two statues tell a story of resilience, representation, and a redefinition of possibility. And now, with her own month and her own monument, Dawn Staley isn’t just inspiring the next generation—she’s making sure they know the road is wide open.
Cover photo: Dawn Staley Honored With New Statue & Her Own Month in Columbia, South Carolina/Photo credit: Tracy Glantz/The State