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The third edition of Nike’s Athlete Think Tank was announced on Thursday, and it included South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice. This is the first time where elite coaches were also added to the usual list of athletes.
In an announcement via Instagram, Nike said:
"Nothing is more powerful than the voice of the athlete. Nike Athlete Think Tank is made up of elite women athletes from around the world. Together, we are working to turn their vision for a more equitable future of sport into a reality."
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Other coaches on the cohort include the US women's national soccer team Emma Hayes, the Chinese women's national volleyball team's former coach Jenny Lang Ping and BYU's cross country coach, Diljeet Taylor.
Some of the athletes are soccer player Alex Morgan, two-time Olympic medal gymnast Laurie Hernandez, 17x Paralympic medalist Oksana Masters and Olympic track champion Yulimar Rojas, among others.
Coach Dawn Staley expressed her excitement in the comments as she wrote:
"I CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS ONE! Inspiration Aspiration Influence all await!"
Nike created the Athlete Think Tank in 2021 with the goal of expanding and bringing positive change to women's sports through conversations with female athletes. Per Web Wire, Nike will donate $1.7 million to an organisation chosen by the Think Tank.
Dawn Staley's advice for young athletes hoping to play for her team
Dawn Staley won three national championships with South Carolina, the first Black coach to do so in Division I history.
Under her tutelage, WNBA stars like Aliyah Boston, A'ja Wilson, Zia Cooke and Allisha Gray reached their best potential. During an interview with Teen Vogue, coach Staley was asked what it takes to be on her team. She replied:
"You have to be talented. And then the next thing that we look at is your relationship with your parents. If it is respectful, then you could play for us. If it's not, you're probably going to have a hard time. That's our prerequisite when it comes to scouting.
"Once we identify a talent and how good they are, boom. That's the easy part. The hard part is the next step. “What are you like? What's your relationship with your family? Are you respectful to your mom, to your dad? How do you treat them? How are you being treated?” That's important to us."
Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks enter the upcoming season as the favorites to win the title once again.
What are your predictions for coach Staley and her team? Let's know your thoughts in the comments section below:
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