South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Academy boasts 252 individuals and welcomes Staley as a member of the 2026 class.
“Being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is definitely one of those (opportunities), and I am overwhelmed by the honor of joining this group of brilliant minds from every walk of life," Staley said. "Every day, I strive to give back to the game of basketball everything that it has provided me and to be a dream merchant and an example for young people — those who I get to work with daily and those who only know me from afar.”
The academy was founded in 1780 and serves as an honorary society to celebrate outstanding leaders across several professional fields.
Three others have been recognized from the University of South Carolina and have become members of the academy. Nikky Finney, poet and professor of English language and literature, was the first elected in 2020. William Hubbard, the dean of the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, was elected in 2023. Susan Cutter, a professor of geography, was elected in 2024.
Staley has been the head coach for Gamecock women’s basketball since 2008 and has led the team to three national championship victories: 2017, 2022 and 2024. Her leadership has brought the team to six consecutive Final Fours, making South Carolina the second team in history to achieve the feat.
Along with her accomplishments at South Carolina, Staley has coached the U.S. national team to three Olympic gold medals, serving as head coach in 2020.
Staley is also a New York Times best-selling author with her memoir "Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three."
“As an innovative coach, educator, mentor, philanthropist and role model, Coach Staley continues to elevate our students, our university and our community,” University President Michael Amiridis said.