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South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley took a shot at Geno Auriemma for his comments about A'ja Wilson's statue outside Colonial Life Arena. UConn's legendary coach seemingly shaded Wilson in early April after the Huskies beat South Carolina to win the 2025 NCAA championship.
On Wednesday in downtown Columbia, the state of South Carolina honored Staley with her 14-foot statue. The Hall of Famer has been in charge of the Gamecocks since 2008, turning it into one of the nation's best programs. Wilson helped South Carolina win its first-ever title in 2017.
During her speech, Staley appeared to have responded to Auriemma's swipe at Wilson. She explained that the statue wasn't for winning a national title, but as a symbol of what the South Carolina native has done for her state and the city of Columbia.
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"I'll admit I wanted hers to be the only one ever," Staley said. "Contrary to the belief of one of my coaching colleagues, her statue wasn't in response to winning a national championship. It was in response to being a winner at life. It's a tribute to a hometown hero, a symbol of what's possible for the youth of Columbia when passion meets preparedness."
Fans reacted to Dawn Staley's comments in defense of A'ja Wilson online, praising the coach for standing up for his former player.
"Oh she took that personal…. Shots fired back… period …," a fan tweeted.
"That statue (and Dawn’s) represent so much more than a championship, especially given our state’s complicated history," one fan commented.
"Rivalry initiated," another fan remarked.
"Set the record straight! Beautifully said!" a fan wrote.
"I'm soooo glad she set Geno a** straight," one fan quipped.
"End that zesty grandpa for me auntie," another fan commented.
While Geno Auriemma didn't mention any names, A'ja Wilson and Seimone Augustus were the recent players who got a statue from their alma mater. UConn also has a different standard, and their supporters have defended Auriemma by saying that he was only motivating his players.
A'ja Wilson unable to attend Dawn Staley's statue unveiling ceremony
There were plenty of guests during the unveiling of Dawn Staley's statue in Columbia, South Carolina. However, A'ja Wilson was not one of them, as she was unable to attend the ceremony to honor her college coach.
Wilson is busy preparing for the upcoming WNBA season with the Las Vegas Aces. The team's training camp started on Sunday, with a preseason game scheduled for Friday against the Dallas Wings.
