Social media lit up like a Christmas Tree when Dawn Staley, the two-time national championship coach, was asked if transgender athletes should be allowed to play women’s college basketball.
The curious question, deemed irrelevant by many, was posed to the two-time coach of the year for the South Carolina Gamecocks on the eve of the women’s collegiate national championship game. The Gamecocks face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, April 7.
Staley answered in the affirmative, inciting a near riot on X.
“I’m of the opinion of, if you’re a woman, you should play,” Staley began. “If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play. That’s my opinion. You want me to go deeper?”
Knowing that a blizzard of hate was going to bury her, Staley nevertheless stayed the course and continued on with sharing her sentiments.
“Yes, yes. So now the barnstormer people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game, and I’m okay with that. I really am.”
I asked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley if she supports transgender women (biological males) playing women's college basketball.
"If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play." pic.twitter.com/SEQCsNiFvm
— Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) April 6, 2024
Staley’s opponent for the title game, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder was asked the same question, but she declined to answer.
“I understand it’s a topic that people are interested in,” Bluder said. “But today my focus is on the game tomorrow, my players. It’s an important game we have tomorrow, and that’s what I want to be here to talk about. But I know it’s an important issue for another time.”
Conservatives rip Dawn Staley
As Staley expected, conservatives did not disappoint and summarily carved her up like a holiday ham.
Great question. Horrific answer. And this coach makes her dereliction twd the fairness & safety of women all about HER. Oh boo hoo she’ll get criticized. Yeah, we get upset when girls/women are endangered by social justice warriors who are SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM. https://t.co/00VS9F0tnS
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) April 6, 2024
Our @UofSC Women’s Basketball Coach @dawnstaley says biological males should be allowed to play in women’s sports.
Our tax dollars shouldn’t fund people and programs pushing these embarrassing ideologies that contradict SC values. @Riley_Gaines_ and @ClayTravis 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/rO1yjgCR92
— Adam Morgan (@RepAdamMorgan) April 6, 2024
She doesn't actually believe that. She was afraid to give her actually opinion. Her MSM legacy is more important than fairness, truth and logic.
Her massive hesitation gives her away. Sad, Dawn. Sad. STAND UP FOR THE WOMEN YOU LEAD. major fail.
— Kyle Skyles (@KylesSkyles) April 6, 2024
Dawn Staley knows perfectly well that men's basketball is a totally different sport than women's basketball
That's obvious by the speed of the game, the size of the ball, the sheer amount of layups compared to dunks when a player gets a fast break https://t.co/uUgLpxIDbo
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 6, 2024
She’s a coward.
— JS (@Wolverines1973) April 6, 2024
