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LOOK: Dawn Staley reveals lucky charm following South Carolina's National Championship

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•04/04/22•

Jonathan Wagner

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Evert Nelson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images.

This season has been a special one for the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team. On Sunday night, South Carolina put the ultimate cap on the season, winning the National Championship against the Connecticut Huskies. The championship is South Carolina’s second of the Dawn Staley era, which began in 2008.

This season wasn’t the first time that South Carolina won a title under Staley. The first championship for Staley came in the 2016-2017 season. Following that victory, Staley cut part of the net as coaches traditionally do after winning a title. Staley had that in her pocket on Sunday night while she coached South Carolina to another title.

Now, Staley has parts of two championship nets to carry with her for good luck in future NCAA Tournaments. But the South Carolina head coach has bigger plans for her second national championship net, too. After the game on Sunday, Staley said that she plans to send parts of the net to Black coaches in women’s basketball and also to Black college basketball journalists.

“The net is going to represent something, something in our game, something that will advance our game,” Staley said via The Athletic’s Shannon Ryan.

“If I can be that ray of hope, if I can be a vessel to them being successful, I am a willing giver of this game, because the game has given me so much,” she said. “I mean, so much. My cup runneth over when it comes to what the game has given to me, so I am forever in debt in trying to repay the game.”

Staley has enjoyed great success since becoming South Carolina’s head coach

Prior to taking the South Carolina job, Staley served as the head coach of the Temple Owls from 2000-2008. At Temple, Staley led the Owls to six NCAA Tournament appearances and one WNIT Tournament appearance. With the Owls, Staley had a 172-80 overall record.

Ahead of the 2008-2009 season, South Carolina hired Staley, and the Gamecocks haven’t looked back. After a 10-18 season in her first year and a 14-15 record in her second year, Staley led South Carolina to an 18-15 overall record in 2010-2011, making the WNIT. The 2010-2011 season is now the last one without South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

The Gamecocks have made ten consecutive tournaments, excluding the 2019-2020 season where the NCAA Tournament was canceled. In addition to Staley’s two championships, she has led South Carolina to two Final Fours, one Elite Eight, and four Sweet 16s.

Last season, South Carolina made it to the Final Four but lost at the buzzer. Led by star Aliyah Boston, the Gamecocks were determined to finish on the right side of things, and that’s exactly what they did.