South Carolina HC Dawn Staley drops powerful message on empowering women's basketball: "I'm an example of all types of possibilities"

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance last week during the 2024 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. It cemented what has been a legendary season for the Gamecocks coach, who led her team to an unbeaten season culminating in a dominant national championship win.

On Thursday, the outspoken coach dropped a powerful message on empowering women's basketball in a clip posted on Instagram with the caption:

"If my younger self could see the world of women’s basketball today, she’d be in awe of how far we’ve come. Let’s continue to break boundaries and inspire the next generation of girls to see their limitless potential. If you can #SeeHer, you can be her ❤️," Staley wrote.

In the video, Staley said:

"Growing up, my dream to be a professional athlete was an impossible goal. Today, we are in an incredible place with women's basketball, a place I did not believe would happen in my lifetime. I believe that I'm an example of all types of possibilities for the next generation of girls to not see limits."

Dawn Staley shows modesty at the ESPYs

Dawn Staley was honored at the 2024 ESPYs for her work advocating cancer research and gathering resources for bone marrow donors.

The efforts stemmed from Staley's former teammate Nikki McCray, who died last year from cancer, and her sister Tracey Underwood, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2020.

The philanthropic Gamecocks coach started campaigning to increase awareness of the disease and find bone marrow donors for her sister in 2020. Underwood was present at the ceremony to watch her sister accept the award.

During her acceptance speech at the ESPYs, Staley showed her characteristic modesty.

"I am profoundly honored and deeply moved but I must confess I feel a little undeserving of this recognition. Past recipients of the Jimmy V Award have faced incredible challenges and proven themselves as true warriors. I have merely been a spectator to such immense resilience," Staley said (h/t Greenville News).

Staley then proceeded to reveal her reason for pursuing excellence in the way that she does things.

"I try my best to do things the right way knowing some little girl is out there watching me, maybe she's growing up in the projects of North Philly like I did . . . or maybe she's one of the 13 pair of eyes that every single little thing I do and makes sure to comment on it, that's my team."

Dawn Staley got a standing ovation from the crowd inside the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles for her modest speech despite winning one of the most impactful awards at the ESPYs.