South Carolina Women’s Basketball Coach Praises God After NCAA Title Win

Published: April 10, 2024

South Carolina Women’s Basketball Coach Praises God After NCAA Title Win

By Movieguide® Contributor

The South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball took home the title of 2024 NCAA Division I National Champions.

After their win, head coach Dawn Staley praised God.

“We serve an unbelievable God,” she said with tears. “This is the unlikeliest group to do it. And sometimes, I mean, God is funny like that. He’s funny. He rips your heart out, and He makes you believe. He makes you believe the unimaginable.”

During the trophy presentation, Staley once again gave God the glory.

“I just want you to know that the God I serve…when he closes a door, he opens a door that is giving you unimaginable success,” she said.

Throughout the tournament, Staley has boldly declared her faith.

“If you don’t believe in God, something’s wrong with you, seriously,” she said after the Gamecocks Elite 8 win.

Though she received backlash for the statement, she didn’t feel the need to apologize.

“If I said, ‘If you don’t watch women’s basketball, something’s seriously wrong with you,’ would you take it as threatening as somebody took the other one,” Staley told Fox Carolina News.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I said or what I feel because I know my life & why things have happened in my life."

I also asked @dawnstaley about the reaction to her courtside post-game interview on Sunday. She puts it in some context here.@GamecockWBB @foxcarolinanews pic.twitter.com/SHc4mUXqsA

— Beth Hoole (@bethhooleVNL) April 4, 2024

“If you’re just tuning in for one interview and you probably heard it from somebody else who heard it from somebody else…then you can have your take on it. I’m not apologizing,” the coach continued.

“I’m not going to apologize for what I said or what I feel because I know my life, and I know why things have happened in my life, and I’m going to salute God as much as I can because I know it’s not just my doing,” she declared.

Movieguide® previously reported on Staley and the Gamecocks:

South Carolina women’s basketball player Kamilla Cardoso was reunited with her family following her game-winning shot that sent the Gamecocks to the conference championship.

Cardoso scored her first-ever 3PT shot in her NCAA career, landing her team in the championships.

A few days later, head coach Dawn Staley surprised the basketball star with a visit from her mom and sister from Brazil.

“This is kind of an incredible moment for all of us,” Staley said. “For someone who has made incredible sacrifices for her family for the past eight years. Just for this game. Just for the game that she loves.”

“We got a chance to do something pretty special,” the coach continued. “Kamilla, let’s bring the people who also made that sacrifice for the past right years. To be away from your family, for as long as you’ve been away from your family. We wanted to make this day special.”