Why does Dawn Staley wear a necklace? Exploring significance behind South Carolina HC's fashion choice 

Dawn Staley has one of the most impressive resumes, as both player and coach, in all of women's basketball history. Besides her impressive resume on the court, the veteran HC is also an amazing person off the court. Dawn Staley's necklace, which was a special gift to her is a testament to this.

A point guard at the University of Virginia, Staley was phenomenal at the collegiate level, winning back-to-back ACC and Naismith College Player of the Year awards in 1991 and 1992.

Making her way to the ABL and then the WNBA, Dawn Staley would compile 8 All-Star selections between 1997 and 2006. Her efforts earned her a place on the WNBA 10-year and 15-year Anniversary Teams.

Her contributions earned her a spot in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, before a selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame the following season.

But, her basketball career was over. Starting in 2008, Dawn Staley took over as the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks, a position she occupies to this day, as she won her 3rd straight Coach of the Year award, both at the SEC level and the National Naismith Award.

This season, however, fans have spotted the head coach wearing a unique necklace on the sidelines.

Why does Dawn Staley wear a necklace?

Dawn Staley's necklace is a reminder of the suffering that other people are going through, keeping them in perspective. The origin of this particular necklace came due to a cancer-fighter Blakely, whom Coach Staley got to meet.

Staley said while speaking on SportsCenter recently:

"I do have a partnership with Aflac and Aflac has taken me on the road to some incredible places. They took me back to UVA Children’s Hospital where I got the chance to meet a young lady named Blakely who was going through cancer treatments.

"And Aflac has these special ducks that, when a child cannot express how they are feeling because of their treatment, they utilize these mood ducks that will give the doctors a view of what the child is feeling if they can’t verbalize it"

The girl in question, Blakely, was the one that Dawn was partnered with for the journey last summer. It was the little girl who made the necklace for the South Carolina head coach:

"They took them through a scavenger hunt, and at the end, they were presented with their ducks. They were able to, at the very end, make necklaces for their ducks. So I sat with a young lady named Blakely — I’ll never forget her name — and I just used her color scheme that she was using for her necklace, for her duck."

The necklace has become a constant around the neck of the head coach during all of the Gamecocks' games this season, serving as a reminder of the larger world at play.

It has also served as their own good-luck charm, with South Carolina improving on last year's record, going 37-0 to reach the National Championship Game.

Staley further explained:

"It gives me perspective. I mean, what we do is coach this game or play this game, when so many other people are going through much deeper things than us, and they have a much better outlook on it. Blakely, you would have never known what she was going through.

“But I know what she’s going through, what her family is going through, and I just feel forever indebted that they allowed me a small part of their life, which changed my life. I’m going to wear this until the beads fall off."

During her visit to SportsCenter, the South Carolina HC was in for a heartwarming surprise. Blakely showed Dawn Staley her new necklace that she had gotten ready for her. Accepting it, Staley immediately put the new necklace on.

Watch the moment here:

"Hey Coach Staley, I made you another necklace, I hope you like it. Good luck on your game"

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