South Carolina Women’s Basketball coach Dawn Staley’s repeated praise of God following games in the NCAA Tournament has people talking about her faith.
On Easter Sunday, her Gamecocks (Lady Gamecocks?) took out Oregon, 70-58, advancing them to the Final Four.
“He’s really funny,” Staley said of God at the time. “The devastating loss that we had last year, to put us back here on a totally different team — if you don’t believe in God, something’s wrong with you, seriously.”
“I’m a believer. I’m a believer because He makes things come true,” she added. “When you’re at your worst, He’s at his best.”
“If you don’t believe in God , something’s wrong with you. When you’re at your worst, He’s at His best.”
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) March 31, 2024
— @GamecockWBB coach @dawnstaley after beating Oregon State to reach the Final Four pic.twitter.com/pI2iDKUvvG
After Winning The Championship, Dawn Staley Again Celebrates God’s Work
Following her team’s victory over Iowa in the championship game, a visibly emotional Dawn Staley again praised God.
The 87-75 win gave South Carolina a perfect season (38-0) and their head coach her second national title in three years.
“We serve an unbelievable God — we serve an unbelievable God,” Staley said in a post-game interview. “Uncommon favor, unbelievable. So proud, I’m so proud.”
Toward the end of the interview, Staley again referred to God’s guidance.
“God is funny like that, He is funny,” she added. “He rips your heart and He makes you believe. He makes you believe the unimaginable. Thank you, Jesus, thank you.”
It’s been a theme of hers for some time.
Some Have Criticized
USA Today recently ran a column suggesting Dawn Staley is oft-criticized for citing her religion in her successes.
“Critics, including a faction on social media, pointed out that there are almost certainly faithful believers on losing teams whose hopes are dashed in defeat,” they write. “Others felt that Staley’s comments minimized the hard work and achievements of her players.”
“Staley’s outspoken expression of her faith has even led to questions about potential violations of her players’ religious freedoms under the First Amendment.”
Hopefully, she’ll continue letting her faith guide her, despite the criticism.
