UCLA took home the 2026 Championship title for the first time in program history this past Sunday. Although, you wouldn’t have known that from the way they played. The Bruins defeated the South Carolina GameCocks with a 79-51 win, earning SC their largest deficit of the season. They came out with electricity and played the fierce game with grace, equivalent to Staley.
Despite their 28 point loss, Staley had nothing but compliments and humility towards her opponents. In her postgame interview, she told ESPN, “We just didn’t have it today. We tried, but we just didn’t have it today. They were the better team. Sometimes you’re part of women’s basketball history, and it’s not favorable to you. If you’re going to lose to a team like UCLA, you want to lose to a team that outworks you, out-executed you, made it very difficult for you to perform at a high level.”
A remarkable kindness after her star players started out on the court, shooting 4-for-19. And even more incredible after the incident with UCONN head coach Geno Auriemma this past Friday. The two coaches had to be physically separated after Auriemma came up to Staley after UCONN’s loss, because of a supposed missed handshake. When asked if that was a potential distraction, Staley told ESPN she will shut down any chance of turning heads away from UCLA. “There weren’t any distractions that caused us to lose this basketball game. ... I will address all of that at another time, just not this weekend. We’re not going to damper UCLA’s day with it.” She was understandable furious, but her grace will be remembered in her legacy. Does this sound familiar? How many times will a black woman have to handle slight with grace?
In her statement today she called for the basketball community to “turn the page. Let’s refocus on what matters most-continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward.” Her commitment to the game is what makes her impact so vast. With women’s basketball growing more and more attention and having record high viewership, the league needs a beacon like Staley who is committed to its success. We cannot have women’s basketball without the legend that is Staley.
Staley has been a tremendous pioneer for women’s basketball, and players all around the world look up to her. USC’s senior guard Kara Dunn remarked how Staley has added to her love of the game: “Dawn Staley… has put South Carolina Women’s basketball on the map. She is truly inspiring and she never fails to uplift other black women in this sport whether it is coaches, players, it doesn’t matter. She knows the platform she has and she uses it to be a great example to other black women like myself.”
Like Dunn, South Carolina’s senior point guard Raven Johnson is entering the 2026 WNBA draft this spring and reflected on how Staley has impacted her game and life: “We’ve been through a lot together, she’ll always be like a mother figure to me. I always come to her about every little thing, and I love her.” She admitted to USA Today Sunday evening. To be black is to be excellent, but excellence can be its own shackle. Staley has no plans on letting this loss control herself or her team and her diplomacy over the weekend isn’t kindness it’s a promise of a comeback.
“To get here is hard. To win here is harder, right? We just have to keep getting here and make adjustments when we don’t win. Obviously, we got smacked today. We got to figure out how to smack back and put ourselves in the position where we’re hoisting the trophy at the end of the day.” She told CBS Sports. Her decorated legacy as the only Black basketball head coach with multiple national titles and more has never blinded her to the talent of the competition.
“I’m always happy for people who worked hard, you know in this game who are really quality people. I want good things to happen for them and Cori is one of those people who really works at making our game better. We lost to a really good human being and a team that represents women’s basketball well.” She told the Philadelphia Inquirer when asked about Cori Close’s admittance to looking up to her.