Dawn Staley, the legendary South Carolina women’s basketball coach, has been immortalized with a statue in downtown Columbia. The bronze statue stands 14 feet tall and weighs nearly 2,000 pounds, depicting Staley on a ladder holding a cut-down basketball net, reminiscent of her 2017 national championship win.
The ceremony, attended by hundreds, including Gamecock coaches, staff, and players, was held on April 30, 2025. Staley’s former player and WNBA star A’ja Wilson expressed her emotional reaction to the statue’s unveiling, saying, “It’s amazing… It truly just speaks volumes to who she is and what she’s done for that whole city of Columbia, the state of South Carolina, women’s basketball.”
Staley’s impressive coaching resume includes three national championships, nine SEC regular-season titles, and nine conference tournament crowns. She agreed to the statue to increase representation of women, particularly Black women, in public statues, hoping to inspire young girls who may walk by the statue one day.
The statue’s location near the University of South Carolina Pastides Alumni Center and Colonial Life Arena solidifies Staley’s lasting impact on the community. Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann praised Staley, saying, “This statue is a tribute, but it really doesn’t encompass what she’s delivered for us as a community, what she’s done for women’s sports, what she’s done for young people, especially young women.”
Staley’s statue joins that of her former player A’ja Wilson, a three-time WNBA MVP, outside Colonial Life Arena. Both statues symbolize the excellence and resilience of women in sports, paving the way for future generations.
