Black female athletes: Having Black female coach is crucial | Sports

South Carolina senior guard Brea Beal knew she could trust Dawn Staley before she even suited up for the Gamecocks.

It wasn't just Staley's coaching accolades, which include fueling South Carolina’s meteoric rise in women’s basketball, that sold Beal. Beal knew that Staley — a Black woman like her — would best understand how to guide her as she navigated both life and playing basketball on a big stage.

“People that were telling me what . . .