“Preparation is key”: Dawn Staley joins JuJu Watkins & Cameron Brinks as one of the top NCAAB collaborators with makeup giant

By Ruth John S

Modified Mar 13, 2025 11:07 GMT

NCAA Womens Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament Championship - South Carolina vs Texas - Source: Imagn — Dawn Staley is the latest NCAAB collaborator with makeup giant Estee Lauder. (Credits: IMAGN)

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley tapped into her influencer skills by promoting makeup brand Estee Lauder's latest foundation. Last year, USC Trojans's JuJu Watkins and former Stanford star Cameron Brink were the brand's faces in women's college basketball.

On Wednesday, Staley shared an Instagram video explaining how Estee Lauder's double-wear foundation helps her stay ready as the Gamecocks prepare for the NCAA Tournament.

"It is time. It's the biggest part of the season coming up right now. I thought I'd check in and let you know why I love this time of the year," Staley said. "It's the strategy, it's the teamwork, it's the community of it all.

"Sports teach us resilience, whether you're a fan or a player, whether you love football, basketball and anything else. It's about pushing yourself to be better every day. And just like sports, preparation is key. That's why I love Estee Lauder's double-wear foundation. It says put, just like my determination."

In the caption of the post, Dawn Staley explained more about the product, writing:

"Game day or every day, it’s all about preparation and staying power. 💪🏽 Just like on the court, I need something that won’t back down — that’s why I love @EsteeLauder Double Wear foundation to keep up with me. Long-lasting, breathable, and a perfect match. 🏀"

Dawn Staley makes the case for South Carolina's No. 1 seed

After winning the 2024 NCAA championship with an undefeated season run, Dawn Staley's South Carolina couldn't repeat it this year. However, they did have an exceptional season, losing just three games (30-3). They also won the SEC Tournament championship on Sunday.

While most bracketology experts place the Gamecocks as the No. 1 team, there are still many doubters and Staley made her case against them. During an interview with ESPN after the semifinal win over Oklahoma on Saturday (Mar. 8), the South Carolina coach said:

"I mean, we play the best schedule in the country, we had the toughest schedule. Did we have a bad game vs. Connecticut? Sure. But don't discount what we did all season long. Don't do that. It ain't that time, it ain't that time to do that."

"We go out and we play the toughest schedule, manufactured so we can get a No. 1 seed, if not the overall No. 1 seed."

With the Selection Sunday in four days, teams will finally know their brackets before the NCAA Tournament begins on Mar. 16.

About the author

Ruth is a College Sports writer at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience reporting for multiple publications. Ruth values thorough research while reporting and leaves nothing for assumption, emphasizing the ethics needed to write about the human aspect of a player. She is an expert in profiling and giving fans a peek into their favorite players outside of the sport.

Ruth has reported for The Covai Mail and worked for Anandha Vikatan as a press correspondent. She has a master's degree in English, which influenced her journey into writing, and her love for sports was mainly due to watching it while growing up. Ruth enjoys college sports as much as the NBA and NFL because of the dedicated fan-following college programs have.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are her favorite college program, and she considers them the definition of rising from the ashes. Their coach, Dawn Staley, is Ruth’s favorite coach of all time because of how she built the culture in the program and the camaraderie in her squad. Jared McCain and Angel Reese are her favorite players for being unapologetically themselves. Ruth also admires Caitlin Clark for being one of the best and yet staying humble and holding herself high.

Ruth likes to watch interior design shows on Netflix or travel vlogs on YouTube when not reporting. Her favorite College Sports moment of all time was when Angel Reese blocked a shot with an untied shoe in her hand.

Know More

Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here

Edited by William Paul