South Carolina ladies’s basketball coach Daybreak Staley is utilizing her program’s nationwide platform to shine a highlight on HBCUs.
South Carolina is ready to face Coppin State and North Carolina Central, each members of the Mid-Jap Athletic Convention (MEAC). Whereas powerhouse applications like South Carolina hardly ever schedule true street video games in opposition to mid-majors, the Gamecocks will journey to Baltimore to play North Carolina Central — a transfer Staley says is intentional.
“As an alternative of the large aggressive video games, we’ve added some HBCUs, simply to raise up each facet of our sport,” Staley informed The State. “Not each staff will go and play an HBCU on their residence court docket. And we really feel prefer it’s an awesome sport, nice competitors, nice teaching. And if we are able to raise, as a result of we play the sport and get some notoriety to the HBCUs, then we’ll try this.”
When going to the peeps right here on this app permits you to converse with nice individuals and get choices to finish schedules WINNING….we gotta sport yall. Paperwork will not be full however we’re good for it! I really like my HBCUs! 🥰🥰🥰 Thanks all for reaching out! Love up!
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) August 13, 2024
South Carolina confronted Coppin State final season, however the choice to schedule one other HBCU sport this yr underscores Staley’s ongoing effort to highlight applications that always function outdoors the nationwide basketball highlight. For Staley, it’s as a lot about respect and recognition as it’s about competitors.
The transfer comes at a time when conversations about fairness, visibility, and assist for HBCUs have turn out to be more and more essential in sports activities. By committing to play these faculties — and particularly by touring to their arenas — Staley and her Gamecocks are sending a transparent sign of assist.
For the Coppin State and North Carolina Central athletes, these video games imply the prospect to host considered one of ladies’s basketball’s elite applications. This chance can convey elevated consideration, income, and visibility.
For Staley, it’s about making certain that girls’s basketball continues to develop, past simply essentially the most outstanding names and applications.
