Tennis Canada has announced that Dawn Staley, head coach of the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball Team and leading gender equity advocate, will be the keynote speaker of the 2025 UNMATCHED: Gender Equity in Sports Conference presented by National Bank in Toronto.
The event will take place on August 5 at VIP Lounge presented by Audi at Sobeys Stadium. This year’s theme is “Stronger Together,” as Tennis Canada strives to recognize the important role of unity and allies in making impactful change for women and girls in sport.
Championship-Winning Coach, Dawn Staley to Apeak at 2025 UNMATCHED
It is no surprise that Staley was selected as the speaker for a conference that promoted gender equity in sports, as she’s always been an advocate of gender equity. In 2022, she forced the event organizers to take action after pointing out the disparities between women’s and men’s facilities at the NCAA’s tournament.
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Staley was a six-time WNBA All-Star and three-time Olympic Gold medallist as a basketball player. As a coach, she is the first black woman to win three NCAA National Championships and won an Olympic Gold medal as Head Coach of the United States Women’s Basketball team.
The Women’s Sports Foundation named her the Billie Jean King Leadership Award recipient in 2022 and presented her with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at last year’s ESPYs.
This year’s edition of UNMATCHED marks the first time that the keynote speaker is from outside the world of tennis, as past speakers include Billie Jean King (2022), Maria Sharapova (2023), and Venus Williams (2024).
“We are honoured to welcome Dawn Staley as our UNMATCHED keynote this year,” said Eva Havaris, Senior Vice President of Tennis Development and Partnerships, Tennis Canada.
“Dawn is the epitome of an equity advocate, and she perfectly embodies this year’s conference theme, Stronger Together. As we enter the fourth year of UNMATCHED, this industry-leading conference continues to evolve, and we are delighted to bring the event on-site at the National Bank Open, elevating the experience of our attendees even further.”
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Staley heads the Dawn Staley Foundation, which focuses on academics and athletics and sponsors basketball leagues and other fundraising activities. The South Carolina Gamecocks coach recently released a new book, “Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three.”
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