Dawn Staley is cool. Like, really cool. She’s a Hall of Fame-caliber coach, creating a legacy that reflects some of the best in college basketball — names like Wooden, Summitt, Thompson and Krzyzewski.
South Carolina won its second national championship on Sunday, riding guard Destanni Henderson’s searing shooting and defense to a wire-to-wire victory over No. 2 seed UConn, 64-49. With the win, Staley became the first black coach in Division I men’s or women’s basketball history to win multiple national championships, according to Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic.
Dawn Staley becomes the first black coach in Division I men’s or women’s basketball history to win multiple national championships with South Carolina’s 64-49 win over UCONN pic.twitter.com/VvG1lyy32t
— Rhiannon Walker (@InstantRHIplay) April 4, 2022
Staley also did it in style, showing up to the national title game in a lime-green Louis Vuitton varsity jacket — worth $4,850, according to Louis Vuitton website — and a pair of elegant black Louis V ankle boots, which retails at $1,170.
This is the LV jacket for @dawnstaley this evening. pic.twitter.com/AE3so84r41
—Judi Gatson (@JudiGatson) April 4, 2022
MORE: Aliyah Boston avenges viral crying image with ‘tears of joy’ after South Carolina championship win over UConn
Staley dazzled on the sidelines, showing not only his considerable tactical acumen, but also his impeccable sense of style.
I’ll just leave that there.
The best champion outfit ever.
@dawnstaleyanother shot
@Louis Vuitton pic.twitter.com/VR3FM0q9HW— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) April 4, 2022
In a wave of beige suits and dreary zippers, Staley’s fashion sense stands out. She has an eye for extravagance, known for mixing luxury brands with interesting patterns and designs to create unique outfits. It’s one of his defining traits, according to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic.
Aliyah Boston told me Friday night that every game day when Dawn Staley walks into the locker room and the players see her looking good, they say “oh you cuuuuute” and she tells them to stop 🤣
—Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 4, 2022
There was the black Burberry hoodie she wore when the Gamecocks beat Stanford last December. Or her penchant for a black leather jacket, like the one she wore when South Carolina beat the 88-62-year-old Ole Miss in 2018.
And don’t get us started on his flashy kicking game, replete with colorful Nike SB Dunks, Jordans and even garnet-red clogs brandished with camel-brown fur, as The Post and Courier’s David Cloninger explored back. 2019.
Style meets substance with Staley, an endearing figure who inspires confidence in players and fans alike. She is the standard bearer for black women in basketball, a responsibility she takes head-on because she said Tyler Tynes of GQ last summer.
“It needs to be emphasized because when so many of our young black women are in this game being the head coach is something they want to do and if you don’t see anyone in that position it makes it difficult,” Staley said GQ. “It says black people can’t be successful in these places. So I’m going to keep pushing.”
For Staley, that means winning her way, draped in the finest fabrics as her team frustrates opponents on both sides of the pitch. She wouldn’t want it any other way.
🗣️ “TALK TO ME NICE!”
—@dawnstaley pic.twitter.com/pVi2hQxHEG
—ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2022
