She took her moment to advocate for others!
Dawn Staley is a force to be reckoned with, a former WNBA star and world renowned coach who made history as the highest paid Black woman coach in women’s basketball. Still, she finds time to do more on and off the court, recently honored for her work as the recipient of this year’s Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2024 ESPYS, Sports Illustrated reports. The award is given annually “to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination,” named for former North Carolina State University coach Jim Valvano, who passed away from cancer in 1993.
Staley, a longtime advocate for cancer research and bone marrow, recently lost her former assistant coach, teammate and friend, Nikki McCray-Penson last year, to the deadly disease. To honor the memory of her friend, Staley started an educational fund for McCray-Penson’s son.
“Nikki was a giver, and she still finds a way to give. I did start [an] educational fund for her son…so he’s got eight more years before it matures, but I just felt like I needed to do more for her to keep her legacy alive. What better way to do it than through her son, who’s probably smarter than all of us at the age of 10,” said Staley.
At the end of the season, Staley also teamed up with Aflac for their My Special Aflac Ducks program, which focuses on making sure children, ages three and up, battling cancer, know they are not alone by providing stuffed Aflac ducks as companions.
“After my first My Special Aflac Duck delivery last year, I wore a necklace crafted by a patient, serving as a constant reminder to maintain perspective in all situations. Aflac and I are deeply committed to giving back, particularly to children facing sickle cell – an often overlooked community,” Staley explained.
She was honored at the recent ESPY Awards for this work, wearing the necklace she talked about while expressing her gratitude for receiving the Jimmy V Award. She took a moment during her speech to pay it forward, advocating for pay equity among coaches and the importance of being a role model. She admitted that she felt a little undeserving of the award since she had only been a spectator to such “resilience.” Still, she honored McCray-Penson, her sister Tracey Staley, and another young cancer warrior, Blakely.
“If they can stand strong in the rings with unwavering bravery and go toe to toe with only faith as their armor…how can I not?,” said Staley.
“They’re watching me. I can’t ask them to stand up for themselves, if I’m sitting down. Nor can I ask them to use their voice to affect change if I’m only willing to whisper. So if someone tells me to ‘shut up and coach,’ I simply say no,” she continued.
Check out Coach Staley’s full acceptance speech below!
Cover photo: Dawn Staley Honored With 2024 Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at ESPYS/Photo Credit: Fox News