COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – The City of Columbia is planning to unveil a statue honoring legendary USC women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley this week.
City officials said the statue will be unveiled Wednesday, April 30 at 4 p.m. at the intersection of Senate Street and Lincoln Street, right next to the University of South Carolina Pastides Alumni Center.
The $140,000 statue has been in the works for over two years, after city officials announced their partnership with Statues for Equality, a public arts funding group, back in February 2023.
In February 2024, WIS News 10 got a new look at the bronze statue, which was designed by Statues for Equality artists and was approved by Staley.
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said the statue will encourage young female athletes to push for the same funding, attention and respect as men’s sports often receive.
Since Staley was hired in May 2008, she has led the South Carolina women’s basketball team to three national championships, seven NCAA Final Fours, nine SEC regular-season championships and nine SEC Tournament titles.
She has helped 13 Gamecocks collect 29 All-America selections and has seen 18 players to the WNBA Draft, 11 of whom have been first-round picks.
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