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Allen Iverson, a legendary basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, recently appeared on ESPN's "NBA Today" to praise South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.
Staley led the Gamecocks to yet another national championship, making them only the 10th team in Division I history to achieve an unbeaten championship record. Staley also became the fifth head coach to win three national titles.
Discussing Staley with host Malika Andrews, Iverson shared his admiration for the highly competitive coach, whom he has followed since her college days in Virginia.
“I think she's earning her flowers. If you don't want to give 'em to her, she gon' take 'em,” Iverson said. “And I just love everything about Dawn.”
The NCAA women's championship game, in which Staley's South Carolina team defeated Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75, was watched by a record-breaking 14.2 million viewers, the highest number for any basketball broadcast on ESPN, not just women's basketball.
In the meantime, the Philadelphia 76ers unveiled a statue of 11-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson in his iconic crossover pose at their practice facility in Camden on Friday. The event was attended by Iverson, his family, former teammates, coaches and fans.
Dawn Staley opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of championship glory
In the 2023-24 season, the Gamecocks managed to go 38-0, considering that they had lost all their starters from the previous year. Yet the school beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75, with college phenom Caitlin Clark playing for the latter.
After winning the championship, Staley said that it was quite emotional for her.
“It was emotional for me because of how it ended last year,” Staley said. “It’s heavy, it’s heavy. You carry the burden of every single one of your players, all the coaches and staff members that put so much into our team. And it’s a heavy load to be undefeated, to finish the job.”
Dawn Staley said that this year's victory was more for players who had graduated and could not achieve their NCAA title dreams last year. Reportedly, she will next coach the USA women's basketball team at the Paris Olympics.
With record-breaking viewership, do you think women's basketball is finally getting the recognition it deserves? Let us know in the comments section!
