When the idea for a statue first reached South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, she was originally against the idea. She didn’t feel it was necessary. 

After conversations with Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and former Gamecock Athletic Director Ray Tanner, she changed her mind. Staley was convinced when the pair told her what it could mean for representation and equality. 

Only 6% of statues in the United States are of real women, according to Sierra Rooney, a professor of art history at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. When Staley heard that number, she realized what a statue of her could mean for the next generation. 

“I agreed to the statue, not for me, but for the girl who will walk by one day and wonder who I was. Maybe she’ll look me up. She’ll see that I did some things in basketball, of course, but I hope she sees much more,” Staley said during the unveiling ceremony. “I hope she sees that I was a champion for equity and equality. That, in my own way, I pushed for change. That I stood proudly in the space God called me to inhabit, not as someone perfect or extraordinary, but as a regular girl who used her gifts to open doors so other girls wouldn’t have to knock as hard.”

Staley has been a long-time advocate for gender equity and inclusion. She dedicated a large portion of her speech to highlighting the importance of women throughout history and the unfair treatment they’ve received over the years. 

“When women aren’t represented, half the population is left out of retelling of history and the many accomplishments women have had in shaping the world,” Staley said. 

To construct the statue, the city partnered with Statues for Equality, an organization focused on creating more representation in statues around the globe. 

The bronze sculpture stands at the intersection of Senate and Lincoln streets in downtown Columbia. The sculpture depicts Staley standing on a ladder and holding a net like coaches do after winning a championship. 

Staley has coached at South Carolina since 2008 and turned the Gamecocks into a national powerhouse, winning three national and nine conference championships. The team has made the final four in each of the past five seasons.

Many prominent figures attended the event, including Rickenmann, current athletic director Jeremiah Donati, former football coach Steve Spurrier and men’s basketball coach Lamont Paris. Many of Staley’s players and fellow coaches were also in attendance, while many of the team’s FAMS gathered close behind. 

Staley becomes the second member of the women’s basketball program to receive a statue after A’ja Wilson earned the honor in 2021. Wilson’s statue sits about a mile away in front of Colonial Life Arena. 

Staley said she originally felt Wilson’s would be the only statue to ever go up. 

“I wanted hers to be the only one. Ever,” she said. “Contrary to the belief of one of my coaching colleagues, her statue wasn’t in response to winning a national championship. It was in response to being a winner at life. It’s a tribute to a hometown hero. A symbol of what’s possible to the youth of Columbia when passion meets preparedness.” 

Staley now holds her head high, knowing any girl can see two of the city's legends. 

“If that little girl sees that I was the first to do something, I want her to know it was only so I wouldn’t be the last. I want her to see me as an example of what can be accomplished by giving intentional effort every day,” she said. “But if she wants to see greatness, well, A’ja Wilson is just up the way.”