Dawn Staley is more than just a winning head coach; she’s somebody who’s willing to give back and fight for the people who are important in her life.
The South Carolina women’s basketball coach was honored on July 11 at the ESPYs with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. While Staley led her team to a perfect season and won the women’s NCAA championship, she also had an active role in the fight against cancer.
Staley’s sister, Tracey Underwood, and her friend and former assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson were diagnosed with cancer in recent years, and the coach decided to become an advocate for cancer research. Staley also met a young girl who was diagnosed with cancer.
“Watching these three beautiful souls in the fight for their lives caused me to look internally. Their strength and the throes of such dire circumstances make any issue I think I have a nonissue,” Staley said. “If they can stand strong in the rings with unwavering bravery, and go toe to toe with only faith as their armor, how can I not? It’s the fight for me, the unwillingness to give up or to quit.”
"If they can stand strong in the rings with unwavering bravery and go toe to toe with only faith as their armor … how can I not?"
Dawn Staley accepts the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance 👏
Join the fight with the @TheVFoundation here: https://t.co/1ZqRiuZrHF pic.twitter.com/p7FmNmIOxU
— ESPN (@espn) July 12, 2024
Staley then gave a shout-out to her team, affirming that she has to continue to lead by example.
“I can’t ask [my team] to stand up for themselves if I’m sitting down. Nor can I ask them to use their voice to effect change, if I’m only willing to whisper,” Staley said. “So when someone tells me to shut up and coach, I simply say, ‘No, I have a job to do.’ I’m being watched. And yes, using my platform is an awesome responsibility, but it’s a responsibility that was divinely bestowed on me.”
