Dawn Staley has built a dynasty in Columbia, and on Sunday night, she was courtside to witness her very own legacy continuing on a new stage. She took over the women's basketball program at South Carolina in 2008, and since then, the Gamecocks have set the standard for the sport. The program boasts national championship years in 2017, 2022, and 2024. The last championship coming with a perfect season record as well. Staley has coached several notable players, several of which are now in the WNBA.
The Hall of Fame coach was in attendance at the Chase Center as the Golden State Valkyries took on the Seattle Storm. Three of Staley's former South Carolina stars suited up for the matchup Laeticia Amihere, Bree Hall, Zia Cooke.
This makes my heart full! @GamecockWBB make us proud…..@_Theblackqueen_ @breezyhalll @ZiaCooke love you ladies!!! pic.twitter.com/Jbz8aTezAc
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) June 30, 2025
All three players were part of the Gamecocks' 2022 national championship squad, the team that solidified the Gamecocks, and Daw Staley, as a powerhouse in women's college basketball. Bree Hall later added another ring in 2024, contributing to Staley's undefeated season. Zia Cooke, who starred at the guard position, earned First-Team All-SEC honors twice and brought home the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award in 2023.
The matchup on Sunday may have offered a sort of reunion, but the competition was no joke. The Valkyries crushed the Storm, 84-57. Amihere dropped 15 points and grabbed eight boards in just 18 minutes off the bench, proving why former Gamecocks are a big reason behind Golden State holding its own so far this season.
As coach Staley sat courtside, her influence on the pro game is impossible to miss. Her former players are not only college legends, but they are helping to build the future of women's basketball as a whole.