Dawn Staley set to receive statue in Columbia

Gamecock women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley will receive a statue in Columbia, according to multiple reports on Wednesday night.

The State Newspaper was the first to report the details of Staley’s statue, which the City of Columbia is planning to erect on the corner of Main and Gervais, across from the South Carolina Statehouse.

“I come from humble beginnings, a place where there are no statues honoring people like me,” Staley said Thursday. “To have the honor is incredibly special. I hope a young girl or boy growing up like I did sees this as a way forward, a path toward their own dreams.”

Staley will become the third athlete from the University of South Carolina to receive a statue. Former women’s basketball star A’ja Wilson’s stands in front of Colonial Life Arena, while former Gamecock football star George Rogers has one erected in front of Williams-Brice Stadium.

According to reports on Wednesday, the statue will cost $140,000 and will be split evenly between Statues for Equity and the City of Columbia.

Statues for Equity is a project honoring women worldwide. They’ve completed statues for female icons like Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah and Queen Victoria.

The statue is set to be unveiled in 2024.