South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley has been recognized as one of the most influential figures in global sports, earning a spot in the Icon category of TIME magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Sports list. South Carolina alumna A’ja Wilson also appeared in the same category on the list, which was released Wednesday.
A Career Built on Unprecedented Achievement
Staley’s path to this recognition runs through both ends of the basketball court. Her playing career earned her induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the FIBA Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Her coaching career appears poised to revisit those same institutions.
Beyond college basketball, Staley made history as the first Black head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team, guiding the program to a seventh-consecutive Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. She also led Team USA to gold at the 2018 FIBA World Cup and the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup.
Building a Dynasty at South Carolina
Over 26 seasons as a college head coach, Staley has compiled a .779 winning percentage (683-194), ranking seventh among active NCAA coaches with at least a decade of experience and 10th all-time. She is one of only five coaches in women’s basketball history to claim at least three national championships, and the only Black basketball head coach — men’s or women’s — with multiple national titles.
In 18 seasons leading the Gamecocks specifically, South Carolina stands at 511-114 (.818) overall and 229-57 (.800) in the SEC. The program has captured three national championships, 10 SEC regular-season titles, and nine SEC Tournament crowns. All eight of South Carolina’s Final Four appearances have come in the last 11 seasons, including six consecutive trips — the second-longest streak in tournament history. The Gamecocks have appeared in the AP Top 25 for 268 straight weeks, sixth-longest in poll history, including 86 weeks ranked at No. 1, which ranks third all-time.
Staley has been named national coach of the year five times and became the first coach in either the men’s or women’s game to win Naismith Coach of the Year honors in three consecutive seasons, taking the award each year from 2022 through 2024. She is a seven-time SEC Coach of the Year, and her 229 conference victories rank third in league history. South Carolina is the only program to complete multiple undefeated SEC regular seasons, having done so four times.
Developing Elite Talent
Staley’s influence on player development is equally well documented. She has coached two National Players of the Year, two National Defensive Players of the Year, and a Freshman of the Year. Her players have earned 32 All-America selections across 16 individuals. Since her first Gamecock was selected in the 2015 WNBA Draft, 21 South Carolina alumnae have been chosen — second-most of any program in that span — with 13 of those selections coming in the first round, including two No. 1 overall picks since 2018. Three former Gamecocks have been named WNBA Rookie of the Year.
**A Legacy That Extends Beyond Basketball**
Staley’s impact reaches well beyond the court. In April 2025, a statue honoring her was installed on Senate Street near South Carolina’s home arena, recognizing her commitment to community empowerment and leadership as much as her coaching record. Her autobiography, *Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three*, was published in May 2025 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller, climbing to No. 2 on the Combined Print and E-Book Nonfiction list. In April 2026, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in the scientific, cultural, and nonprofit leadership category — one of the rare sports figures to receive that distinction, which honors leaders across academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science.
Her inclusion on TIME’s inaugural list of the sport world’s 100 most influential figures is the latest in a long line of recognitions that reflect a career operating at a level few coaches in any era have reached.
