Watch: South Carolina honors head coach Dawn Staley with statue unveiling 

The city of Columbia honored South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley on Wednesday, unveiling her statue in front of adoring fans. NCAA Division I Women's Basketball shared a video of Staley watching her statue shown to the public for the first time on its X/Twitter account.

The clip showed Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann calling for city workers to remove the Gamecock flag and the tarp that had been covering the statue. When the cover came down, the statue showed Staley holding the net at the top of the ladder, depicting a scene during South Carolina's championship celebration.

Staley was seen hugging Columbia City manager Teresa Wilson after her statue was unveiled on the island that separates the two lanes of Senate Street. Hundreds of fans attended the ceremony to pay tribute to Staley, who made South Carolina a college basketball powerhouse.

Artists Gillie and Marc designed Staley's statue, creating the bronze piece last year. The legendary coach's statue is located just a few blocks away from A'ja Wilson's, which was installed in front of Colonial Life Arena in 2021.

Recapping Dawn Staley's illustrious coaching career at South Carolina

Dawn Staley joined South Carolina in 2008, agreeing to coach the program's women's basketball team after spending eight seasons at Temple. South Carolina wasn't a powerhouse when Staley arrived, with the Gamecocks' best finish in the NCAA Tournament coming in 2002 when they reached the Elite Eight.

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first half of the national championship game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament against the UConn Huskies at Amalie Arena. Photo: Imagn

That changed with Dawn Staley at the helm. She led South Carolina to seven Final Four appearances, including three national championships. Staley and the Gamecocks won their first NCAA title in 2017, beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the national championship game.

Wilson led South Carolina to victory, posting a double-double with 23 points and 10 boards. She also made her presence felt on the defensive end, amassing four blocks and two steals in 34 minutes of action.

Staley returned to the mountaintop in 2022, leading South Carolina to a 64-49 win over UConn. Destanni Henderson starred in that contest, scoring a game-high 26 points on 9-for-20 shooting.

Staley captured her third NCAA title last year, leading South Carolina to an 87-75 victory over Iowa in the 2024 national championship game. Tessa Johnson scored 19 points for the Gamecocks, who thwarted Caitlin Clark's bid to win an NCAA championship in her college career.