Dawn Staley has made history with a groundbreaking seven-year, $22.4 million contract, becoming the highest-paid Black coach in women’s basketball at the University of South Carolina.
The deal includes an annual salary of $1 million, with additional compensation starting at $1.9 million in the first year, increasing by $100,000 annually thereafter.
South Carolina’s athletic director, Ray Tanner, praised Staley’s coaching prowess and anticipates further success for the Gamecocks.
Staley, a trailblazer on and off the court, has told the Bleacher Report that she remains a firm advocate for equal pay, making a significant statement for women, especially Black women, and inspiring investment in women’s basketball programs.
A three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the NCAA’s all-time steals leader, Dawn Staley was an undersized sparkplug who led the University of Virginia to three consecutive Final Fours.
She was a two-time National Player of the Year and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1991 NCAA Final Four.
Staley was one of the early pioneers in the mid-90s revolution of professional basketball for women, first playing in the ABL for the Richmond Rage and later in the WNBA for the Sting and Comets.
Her first Olympics came in 1996, and she was honored by her countrymen in 2004 by carrying the flag into the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony. Staley was a five-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time Kodak All-America.
