“I was willing to risk it all": When Dawn Staley broke Sheryl Swoopes down to tears with story about $22.4 million worth contract with South Carolina

Dawn Staley broke barriers when she signed a seven-year contract worth $22.4 million with South Carolina in 2021. She became one of the highest-paid coaches in women's college basketball and this story brought WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes to emotional tears.

Swoopes joined Staley on an episode of the "NETLIFE with Dawn Staley" podcast uploaded to YouTube in February 2022. One of the topics they discussed was Staley's lucrative contract with the Gamecocks. The coach went over the process, saying that it forced her to grind it out despite the obstacles that came her way during negotiations.

"We just banged it out. And I just feel like there are certain things that I was- I had to risk it all, like I was willing to risk it all," Staley said. "I was making a pretty decent amount of money before we negotiated. But I just felt like there was this time to strike.

"Because the talks of the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio, the women's soccer team, national team, they're in constant negotiation for equal pay. And I had a tremendous lawyer who had stamina because he felt like it was the right thing to do."

Swoopes immediately replied to Staley, getting teary-eyed, as she finally saw someone of a similar background earn what they deserved.

"I remember that day when it just all came out right, and I was sitting in, I'm getting teary-eyed thinking about it," Swoopes said. "My first thought was, 'Damn.' Not about the amount of money, but it was like, 'Damn, finally.' Like finally, someone is getting exactly what I said we deserve. Because I felt like I was you."

"And I think there was so many people out there, even to this day, who were so happy and excited for you."

How Dawn Staley's South Carolina has performed this season

Midway through the 2024-25 college basketball season, Dawn Staley and the No. 2 Gamecocks have dominated most of their opponents as they have a 14-1 overall record.

South Carolina is averaging 82.5 points on 46.9% shooting from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc, blowing out opponents by a winning margin of 27.2 points per game. Te-Hina Paopao, Joyce Edwards, and MiLaysia Fulwiley stand out as their best scorers with 32.9 combined points, rounding out a balanced offense for the Gamecocks.

They will look forward to their next matchup, hosting Texas A&M at the Colonial Life Arena on Thursday at 5 p.m. EST.