Basketball fans shouldnโt be surprised that South Carolina won the Womenโs basketball national championship against Iowa on Sunday. They were the best team in the country all season, often beating their opponents in dominating fashion.
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And nobody should be surprised that Dawn Staley became the first Black coach in womenโs or menโs college basketball history to complete an undefeated season. South Carolina was two games away from completing it last year.
Additionally, nobody should be surprised that Staley is the first Black college basketball coach to win three national titles because she was also the first Black college basketball coach to win two national titles in 2022.
But most of all, we should be celebrating the way Staley handled her championship win against Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes because not everyone wouldโve done the same thing.
If you didnโt know, Staley has been near the top of womenโs basketball at every stage in her career.
During her four years at the University of Virginia. from 1988 to 1992, Staley was named the Naismith College Player of the Year twice during her junior and senior years. In the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics, she helped lead the womenโs national team to the gold medal.
During her 10-year career in the WNBA, she was a six-time WNBA All-Star and was also a member of the 10th and 15th-anniversary team.
Prior to her national championship win on Sunday, Staley was a two-time national champion, four-time Naismith Coach of the Year, had led South Carolina to six Final Fours, and led the womenโs national team to a gold medal as a coach at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
That almost sounds like a perfect sports resume.
Despite all that, Staley acted as if she had never won anything in her life, and was d grateful to have such great people around her.
Just watch her post-game interview with ESPN just moments after South Carolina took down Iowa:
During the trophy ceremony, Coach Staley took it a step further.
Throughout this entire womenโs college basketball season, one player dominated the headlines, and that was Iowaโs Caitlin Clark. Despite the unbelievable run Staleyโs team was on, Clark was the headline, and for good reason.
She dazzled basketball fans with incredible passing and shotmaking ability with the likes the womenโs game has never seen before.
While accepting her teamโs championship, Staley couldโve been spiteful, saying something along the lines of, โSouth Carolina ainโt going anywhere!โ or โSouth Carolina is always going to be the main attraction.โ
Staley opted for a more humble approach, saying, โI want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport, and itโs not gonna stop here on the collegiate tour, but when sheโs the number 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, sheโs gonna lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark if youโre out there you are one of the goats of our game.โ
Thatโs a champion. Thatโs handling a win with grace and class.
In a moment where Staley had every right to brag, she opted to be humble. Which is why she is the perfect person to continue leading young ladies at the University of South Carolina to national championships for years to come.
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