Dawn Staley has responded to criticism directed towards her players in the South Carolina women’s basketball team, accusing them of being overly physical.Staley has never been one to shy away from defending her players or her principles, and during her recent appearance on CBS Mornings to promote her new memoir, ‘Uncommon Favor’, she addressed criticism aimed at her Gamecocks for being “overly physical” on the court, a claim she dismissed firmly.When asked about her strong response to the press, Dawn Staley, who is worth $12 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), explained that sometimes media coverage of Black athletes can be clouded by bias, and that accuracy should always be the priority.“When anybody's upset or anybody disagrees with anything that you believe in, you can stick to the facts,” Staley said. “There are gonna be some emotions about what's taking place. Once you get over the emotional part of it, and you turn it over to the facts, the facts are the facts, and they will speak to whatever it is that, no matter what you disagree with or agree with, the facts remain the same.”Beyond defending her team, Staley also spoke about embracing difficult conversations, particularly around social justice, equity, and equality, topics some coaches avoid. She explained that such discussions are crucial because they are too often ignored.“It's important to have those conversations because they aren't being had,” she said. “I’ve been very blessed by pay equity, not blessed, in that I fought for it. It’s not going to just come to you. You actually have to approach them with what you think you're worth is. Knowing your worth.”Staley currently has a net worth of $12 million per Celebrity Net Worth, but she noted that confidence in self-worth has been key both on and off the court in building her brand.“Once you know your worth, you’re unafraid to speak on what you think it is, whether they believe so or not… sometimes you have to do the unpopular right thing.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostDawn Staley clears the air on now allowing recruiters to come to her town during playing daysDawn Staley grew up in North Philadelphia, but in her book, she described how uncomfortable she was with college recruiters visiting her home.During her recent appearance on CBS Mornings, she cleared the air that this did not come from shame but from a sense of protection and pride for her community.“I thought where I grew up was sacred. From the outside, people probably saw an impoverished community. But to me, it was the grandest,” she said. "They take care of you. They protect you. They make sure you're not doing the things you're not supposed to be doing.”However, Dawn Staley admitted her mother might have mistaken her hesitation for shame, but that was never how she felt.