3X National champ Dawn Staley has special shoutout for ESPN crew over "unbiased" tourney coverage in 2024

March Madness may have ended over a month ago, but South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is still reminiscing about the tournament. And no, it is not her team winning the championship for the third time.

Staley took to X to highlight the commentators for the tournament on ESPN, Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, Carolyn Peck and newcomer Aliyah Boston. Staley tweeted:

"On my walk and a late one it is but it’s got me thinking and appreciating the incredible job @elleduncanESPN @Andraya_Carter @chiney @CAROLYNPECK and @aa_boston in covering @MarchMadnessWBB. EVERYONE felt unbiased ❤️ in the tourney. Give us more!"

Carter, Peck and Duncan gave their thanks in the comments to coach Dawn Staley.

"Thank You!!! 🤞🏽🤞🏽," Carter wrote.

The five women captivated the audience with their detailed and engaging match reports at half-time and post-game breakdowns, along with their pre-game analysis. Fans on X raved about the ladies and Boston Globe sports reporter Ethan Fuller called them “immediately the best studio crew in basketball.”

With the increased attention that women's college basketball received this year, fans did not miss the voices behind the broadcast.

“If you’re talking about us, that means you’re talking about women’s basketball. And ultimately, that’s the win,” Elle Duncan said (via Front Office Sports).

ESPN's vice president of production, Kate Jackson said:

“To see the support and the appreciation for the work that is being done and I think these women have worked long and hard for that and I think it’s awesome people are now noticing it.”

Dawn Staley's continued efforts to uplift women's basketball

In an effort to bring more eyes to women's basketball and grow the sport, Dawn Staley worked with former Gamecock A'ja Wilson to bring a Las Vegas Aces' preseason game to the Colonial Life Arena. This will be the first WNBA exhibition game on a college campus.

"It's a great start but we need to insert some more innovative ideas to push the needle forward," Dawn Staley said (via Greenville News). "We have the first millionaire coach. Let's have the first millionaire player."

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins have managed to bring more audience to college basketball. With Clark and Reese in the WNBA now, there is a spillover effect as there has been a rise in ticket sales and viewership, even for the pre-season games.

However, Aces' A'ja Wilson believes there is more to be done.

"Yes, it looks great on social media, but what are we doing behind the scenes to make sure we continue to invest in women's sports in general?, Wilson said (via Greenville News). "At the end of the day, this isn't a fad, this isn't a trend . . . we have to invest in these women to push the needle forward."

What do you think of the attention that women's sport is receiving these days? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.