Dawn Staley’s playbook was pitch perfect.

Because what the South Carolina women’s basketball coach (and one of Know Your Value’s and Forbes “50 Over 50” honorees!) did over the weekend wasn’t just about basketball.

It was about power, timing, and something women are still too often discouraged from doing: speaking up in the moment.

During the NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinal, Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks stunned Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies, 62–48, ending UConn’s long undefeated streak.

After the game, a tense postgame exchange erupted between the two coaches near midcourt. Words were exchanged, emotions ran high, and team staff had to step in. What could have been a routine handshake became a defining moment of accountability and presence in real time. Within a day, Auriemma publicly apologized for his behavior, acknowledging it was out of line.

What Staley did in that moment was a Know Your Value fever dream. Simply awesome. She didn’t wait. She didn’t soften her response. She pushed back clearly, directly, and with authority—right in the moment. It was a clapback, yes—but more importantly, it was what leadership required in that moment. It was the kind of authenticity and strength that women everywhere need to see. You can speak up, set boundaries, and still lead with respect.

What excites me the most is that the nation has her back. The public response to Staley’s clapback was positive. And I don’t think that would have been the case 10 to 20 years ago. Progress.

For generations, women have been taught to pause before responding, to weigh the tone, to make sure they’re “acceptable.”  Staley showed that hesitation isn’t necessary anymore.  

The reception to this moment matters just as much. It wasn’t criticized. It wasn’t muted. It was accepted, celebrated, and shared widely—proof that women’s voices and power, when wielded confidently, can redefine expectations.

This is who Dawn Staley is—a woman who knows her value. She has built a career on speaking up for herself and her team. In 2021, she became one of the highest-paid coaches in women’s college basketball, signing a $22.4 million, seven-year contract. And she didn’t get there by waiting quietly. She got there by recognizing inequity, speaking up, and trusting her worth.

“I probably looked at my male counterpart at the time and saw that his raises were much more than my raises and his success didn’t match our success,” she told Forbes and Know Your Value in 2024. “So I thought it was a great opportunity for me to just speak on that… When you bet on yourself… you’re asking for what you deserve. Don’t be afraid to go in and do that.”

That mindset is exactly why she was honored on our  “50 Over 50”  list—a recognition of women who are redefining success, challenging norms, and proving that their greatest impact is still ahead.

So let’s all take a page from Staley’s playbook: Speak up when it matters. Say it clearly. Do it confidently.

That’s how the game changes.

The post Mika on Dawn Staley’s big moment — and why it’s good for women everywhere appeared first on MS NOW.

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