Dawn Staley details story behind gift she gave to South Carolina’s first NCAA opponent
Dawn Staley is no stranger to generosity. The Southern University women’s basketball team was the latest recipient of her gift giving.
The Gamecocks women’s basketball coach gave members of the Jaguars’ squad some Louis Vuitton Imagination perfume sticks following their 65-53 win over Samford on Thursday in the First Four NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Southern (20-13) will play the Gamecocks (31-3) on Saturday (1 p.m., ABC) in a first-round game at Colonial Life Arena.
The idea for the “small gift,” as Staley described it, originated from an exchange she had with some of Southern’s players Wednesday when she visited the Jaguars at their hotel for the week.
“ A couple of them said, ‘You smell good. ‘What are you wearing?’” Staley said Friday. “When I got home, my friend who works at Louis Vuitton sent me samples. Let me just give it to them. I just had enough to give to the whole team. It was just a small gesture. I had them and probably wouldn’t utilize them. I just did it.”
The gifts were a hit. Southern players reacted with excitement in a video that was posted on the March Madness X/Twitter account Thursday night.
Staley spent some of Wednesday speaking to both Samford and Southern at their team hotels before they got ready for their First Four matchup.
“I talked to both teams. Bring your practice habits to the game,” Staley said. “They deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament. They played well to be here. It is fortunate and unfortunate that someone is going to take a loss. The most important thing is to enjoy the experience of playing in the tournament because a lot of teams aren’t in their position, and to treat people kind. All the things I try to tell young people.”
The Southern players were grateful to the time they got to spend with Dawn and for her gift. The admitted Friday they stayed in the locker room for a long time Thursday night to soak up their second straight NCAA Tournament victory.
“I think a lot of me and my teammates, we look up to Dawn. We’re definitely a fan of hers. Having her come in and be able to give us a speech and just talk to us I think it was very insightful, and I’m very thankful for her,” Southern’s Jocelyn Tate said. “... It shows what kind of person she is. A lot of coaches wouldn’t do that. So I’m very thankful and I’m just glad I got to meet her in person and get some insight from her.”
This isn’t the first time Staley has spoken to teams or given gifts before their March Madness game. Before the Gamecocks faced Norfolk State in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, it was reported she paid the tab for the NSU team meal at a steakhouse in Columbia.
Before the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Staley spoke to Presbyterian and Sacred Heart teams prior to their First Four games in Columbia. She also had South Carolina play on the road at Coppin State, which like Southern is a Historically Black College/University, earlier this season.
“Not every team will go and play an HBCU on their home court,” Staley said. “And we feel like great game, great competition, great coaching. And if we can lift, because we play the game and get some notoriety to the HBCUs, then we’ll do that.”
And earlier Friday, UCLA star Lauren Betts wrote in the Players Tribune about how Staley had helped Betts with her struggles with mental health.
“I’m lucky to have such supportive coaches in my life. Shannon LeBeauf from Rutgers, she was here at UCLA as an assistant coach, and she’s basically been another mother figure to me,” Betts wrote. “And Dawn Staley, she spoke to my mom a little bit while everything was going on as well. And I don’t think a lot of people know that. She’s been really amazing to me and my family through my entire basketball career.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 1:15 PM.
