$12 million worth Dawn Staley reveals one accolade that "means the most" to her

Dawn Staley has won numerous awards during her illustrious basketball career, both as a player and a coach. The South Carolina coach surprised the hosts of "The Breakfast Club" when she didn't mention any one of them when asked which accolade meant the most to her.

Staley, who is worth $12 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, didn't mention the national championships and the SEC titles she won with the Gamecocks in her answer. The South Carolina coach picked her players' achievements off the court instead as the accolade she is most proud of.

"Probably when my players graduate. That's the best feeling," Staley said (Timestamp 23:48). "Because we sit in living rooms and we say your child will graduate and sometimes it's a first-generation college graduate. Do you know what that means to the family?"

"It just doesn't impact my player. It impacts everybody that comes after her or everybody in her current family that desires to get a higher education. They'll go out and do it because it's not tangible in some homes. It's not something that someone has ever done in their household."

Dawn Staley noted that her graduating players' impact will be felt by their families' future generations.

"And for that to happen, their generations will change from that. It's just the impact of that," Staley added.

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Dawn Staley's graduating players in 2024-25 season

Senior players Bree Hall, Sania Feagin and Te-Hina Paopao's time with the Gamecocks has come to an end after they all graduated from the University of South Carolina. They were important pieces for Dawn Staley, helping the Gamecocks win the national championship last year and finish runner-up to UConn this year.

Head coach Dawn Staley, Bree Hall and Te-Hina Paopao of the South Carolina Gamecocks speak during a press conference on April 04, 2024. Photo: Getty

Te-Hina Paopao, who transferred to South Carolina from Oregon, led the Gamecocks in assists, averaging 2.8 dimes during the 2024-25 season. Sania Feagin, who played four seasons at South Carolina, led the team in blocked shots, averaging 1.5 per game in her senior year. Bree Hall, on the other hand, averaged 6.3 points and 3.0 boards through 39 games.

Paopao, Feagin and Hall stepped up in their final NCAA Tournament run together, averaging a combined 22.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists through six games. Paopao and Feagin now play in the WNBA, suiting up for the Atlanta Dream and the Los Angeles Sparks, respectively.