The South Carolina Gamecocks are back on the big stage yet again. The Gamecocks will be seen in the Women’s Final Four against NC State. They are coming in with a 34-3 record and are ready to get into the semifinal heat on Friday, April 5.
As they prepare for a showdown against NC State, all eyes are on Dawn Staley and her staff.
South Carolina Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff: Dawn Staley, Lisa Boyer, and Jolette Law Lead the Charge
Dawn Staley – Head Coach
Dawn Staley is the name that is responsible for South Carolina’s women’s team reaching where it is. She joined the Gamecocks in 2008 and had a rather questionable start. Staley lost two seasons back-to-back.
But Staley kept pushing, and by 2014-15, she had led South Carolina to its first No. 1 ranking and Final Four appearance. Just two years later, she guided them to their first national title in 2017.
While that was history in itself, Dawn Stayley also became the second Black woman to coach a team to a championship.
Under Staley, the Gamecocks have won eight regular-season and eight tournament titles. If that wasn’t enough, they have also made it to five Final Fours and two NCAA championships. In 2022, she led South Carolina to an undefeated 38-0 season and won her third Naismith Coach of the Year award.
Coaching History:
- 2000–2008 – Temple (Head Coach)
- 2008–present – South Carolina (Head Coach)
Lisa Boyer – Associate Head Coach
Lisa Boyer has been Dawn Staley’s right-hand woman since 2010. She has helped Staley make the Gamecocks into the juggernaut it is today.
Boyner is not a woman to be taken lightly. She was the first woman to coach in the NBA, serving as a volunteer assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2001. She comes with an experience spanning over four decades.
Coaching History:
- 1981–1982 – Davidson (Assistant Coach)
- 1982–1983 – Converse (Head Coach)
- 1983–1984 – East Carolina (Assistant Coach)
- 1984–1985 – Miami (Assistant Coach)
- 1985–1986 – Virginia Tech (Assistant Coach)
- 1986–1996 – Bradley (Head Coach)
- 1996–1997 – Philadelphia Rage (Head Coach)
- 1998–2002 – Cleveland Rockers (Assistant Coach)
- 2001–2002 – Cleveland Cavaliers (Volunteer Assistant Coach)
- 2002–2008 – Temple (Assistant Coach)
- 2008–2010 – South Carolina (Assistant Coach)
- 2010–present – South Carolina (Associate Head Coach)
Jolette Law – Assistant Coach
Jolette Law is a former Harlem Globetrotter. She is also a South Carolina native who joined the Gamecocks in 2017. Law represented the US at the 1988 William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan. The team came back with a 3-2 record and won the silver medal that year. And Law had an average of 5.4 points per game and had eight assists.
Coaching History:
- 1994–1995 – Ball State (Assistant Coach)
- 1995–2003 – Rutgers (Assistant Coach)
- 2003–2007 – Rutgers (Associate Head Coach)
- 2007–2012 – Illinois (Head Coach)
- 2012–2017 – Tennessee (Assistant Coach)
- 2017–present – South Carolina (Assistant Coach)
Khadijah Sessions – Assistant Coach
Khadijah Sessions is a name that the Gamecocks fans are familiar with. She is, after all, a former Gamecock herself. Sessions played under Staley from 2012-16 and helped lead South Carolina to its first Final Four in 2015.
After winning gold at the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup, she moved to coaching. Before returning to the hard courts where it all began, she worked as a private trainer, AAU coach, and was also involved in coaching high-school teams.
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Mary Wooley – Director of Recruiting
Mary Wooley is a longtime associate of Dawn Staley. She started her career under Staley at Temple. Over the years, Wooley has held various positions across programs like Villanova and Loyola Maryland. It was in 2022 that she returned to South Carolina to take the recruiting role. Since then, Wooley has helped the Gamecocks bring in top talent year after year.
Coaching History:
- 2016–2021 – Loyola University Maryland (Assistant Coach)
- 2017–2021 – South Carolina (Director of Recruiting Operations)
- 2019–2023 – Villanova (Assistant Coach, Recruiting Coordinator)
- 2022–present – South Carolina (Director of Recruiting)
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