Yep, Dawn Staley is the head coach of the Gamecocks, but she’s also their No. 1 hype woman. Remember Zia Cooke’s WNBA debut in 2023? Dawn Staley was right there, courtside, repping with full auntie pride. “YOUR DREAM! The thing you have talking about since I met (you) is right here,” she posted. “I love you and the work you put in. Just getting started!” And when Sania Feagin made the Sparks roster this year as the 21st overall pick, guess who was one of her first calls? Yep, Mama Dawn. Feagin rang up her college coach to share the good news, and Staley didn’t miss a beat: “I knew you were going to make the [expletive] team,” she said. “I knew it.”

And then there’s Tiffany Mitchell; there’s just one word for her bond with coach Staley: different. Dawn Staley once dropped the ultimate line: “I call Tiff my firstborn.” So when those three (Zia, Sania, and Tiff) were potentially going to suit up for the same game? You just know Staley was somewhere screaming at the TV like a proud mom in a gymnasium bleacher.

We’ve seen her lose it before when it’s Gamecock vs Gamecock, like that Fever vs Aces clash back in June. She took to Twitter and perfectly captured the emotional tug-of-war: “Split screening @WNBA games today! @GamecockWBB on @GamecockWBB crime in full effect! 🥰🥰🥰” Whoever won that night, Dawn Staley did.

The South Carolina HC followed it up with the ultimate flex: “Did yall see all the @GamecockWBB won today! @aa_boston lead us with 26pts/10rebs! @_ajawilson22 24pts/7rebs. @tehinapaopaoo 16pts (5 3s) @Graytness_15 19pts (5 3s) @Kamillascsilva 7pts/5rebs! @WNBA is in a great place!!” Fast forward to tonight’s double OT madness between the Sparks and Storm, and naturally, Dawn Staley was back on the timeline doing what she does best, cheering with her whole chest.

She kicked off the X posts with: “This @WNBA @LASparks @seattlestorm game is GIVING!! Play this game we all love SISTERS!!! 😍😍😍”

Ten minutes later, she doubled down: “We deserve these extra minutes in this game! Who yall got @seattlestorm or @LASparks?” And once the game hit double OT, she was officially unhinged (in the best way): “We want more! We want more! Double OT for us! Let’s goooooo WBB!!! @WNBA” And honestly, same!

The game was tied at 86–86 at the end of regulation. They battled through the first OT, and it looked like LA might seal the deal, they were up 99–97 with just 18.2 seconds on the clock. But Skylar Diggins had other plans: she took a diving layup to tie it up again. With two seconds left, it looked like the Sparks would take it home right there. Kelsey Plum had a clean look (a 16-foot pull-up jumper to win it) but she missed it. Cue: Double OT.

From there, it was edge-of-your-seat chaos. LA kept pulling ahead, Seattle kept clawing back. The biggest lead came at 2:35 in the second OT, when Azura Stevens drained a 24-foot three (assist by Julie Allemand) to make it 106–101. That was the dagger LA needed. They hung on for a 108–106 win. If your stomach didn’t flip at least three times, you might need a pulse check. This was cinema. And for Dawn Staley, it was pure, unfiltered Gamecock pride on full display. The way she supports her players is commendable, but there might be something that she does even better. It recently earned her praise from a former Sparks legend and her dear friend…

Lisa Leslie Fangirling Over Dawn Staley…

Yep that’s right, two icons of women’s basketball just reunited on-screen, and it was full of laughter, legacy, and killer fashion. On the newest episode of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley joined her longtime friend and former Olympic teammate. They looked back on their careers, their bond, and the sport they helped shape. But more than that, this reunion was a tribute to how far women’s basketball has come and a hype session for the culture around it today.

Of course, the conversation turned to style. “Kim Mulkey does fashion that speaks to her… very ostentatious,” Leslie said. “But I feel like you’ve changed the game in a way that makes a coach want to get out there and look cool.” And cool is exactly what Dawn delivers. Whether she’s rocking a Louis Vuitton jumpsuit or a full Chanel fit, Staley has turned the South Carolina sideline into a runway. She blends high fashion with streetwear effortlessly. Leslie nailed it: “We’re all fangirling like, ‘What Dawn got on today?’ You do it for the culture.”

But there’s more to it than just designer clothes: it’s about connection that Dawn Staley values highly as we know. Staley’s style is leadership in action. Her players don’t just see a coach, they see someone real, fearless, and bold. The same woman who once quarterbacked Team USA now sets the tone for college basketball culture and upcoming WNBA talent. And the fact that she and Lisa Leslie (former roommates turned legends) can still share that space decades later? That’s legacy, that’s love. That’s Dawn.