‘Merely a messenger:’ Dawn Staley’s legacy cemented with statue unveiling
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The city of Columbia honored University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball Coach Dawn Staley with a statue on Senate Street on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the ceremony was bigger than basketball; it was a celebration for equality and hope for women across the world.
The South Carolina legend said that having a statue for herself was neither a goal nor a thought.
“When the idea of a statue honoring me was introduced, I was against it,” Staley said.
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said the statue will encourage young female athletes to push for the same funding, attention, and respect as men’s sports often receive.
She credited Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and SC Athletic Director Ray Tanner for changing her mind, after learning only 5% of statues around the world honor a woman.
“I agreed to this statue not for me, but for the girl who walks by one day and wonders who I was... I hope she sees I was a champion for equity and equality,” Staley said.
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Since being hired in May 2008, she has led the South Carolina women’s basketball team to three national championships, seven NCAA Final Fours, nine SEC regular-season championships, and nine SEC Tournament titles.
Staley has helped 13 Gamecocks collect 29 All-America selections and has sent 18 players to the WNBA Draft, 11 of whom have been first-round picks.
Her impact reaches far beyond the basketball court. Coach Staley has committed to leadership, community empowerment, and uplifting future generations.
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said the statue will encourage young female athletes to push for the same funding, attention, and respect as men’s sports often receive.
“If I said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, I am merely a messenger,” Staley continued. “All glory goes to god.”
FAM Reactions
Many fans reacted to the newest statue in the Palmetto State. WIS Alum Craig Melvin sent the following message to the coach after her big day.
Dawn Staley calls them FAMS because there’s so much more than fans, as dozens of them cheered throughout Columbia Wednesday in celebration of her new statue.
“I think she’s done a marvelous job for the city, for the state, for the United States because she has brought women’s basketball to the front,” said long-time FAM Dorothy Stewart.
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Dozens of FAMS lined up on Senate Street for the big unveiling.
The bronze statue of Staley has been in the works for more than two years.
USC junior Josh Williams says the statue is a testament to the high standard she’s set for the women’s basketball team.
“It’s really a testament to how the program has gone from nothing to a national icon,” Williams said, “When you talk about women’s college basketball, everybody knows South Carolina.”
Columbia resident Dan Colascione explained how her accomplishment as a coach, player, and person can be felt not just in the Soda City, but across the country.
“Dawn Staley is such an important part of USC and Columbia culture, and women’s basketball,” Colascione said, “She changed the landscape of women’s basketball for our country and for the world, really. It’s the right time to memorialize her with a statue.”
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