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Dawn Staley fights for Brittney Griner, through her words and her wardrobe

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley wears a “Phree BG” shirt in support of Brittney Griner during her team’s game against Maryland. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

In her 15-year coaching career at South Carolina, Dawn Staley has won two NCAA championships, reached four Final Fours and taken her place as one of the top coaches in the game.

And last season, as the Gamecocks journeyed to their second title, Staley also became a style icon.

The 52-year old coach’s fashion started conversations throughout the season, especially in contrast with the more traditional outfits coaches wear as they patrol the sidelines. Her wardrobe featured a Burberry hoodie, a black leather jacket and footwear to make any sneakerhead jealous.

She cemented her status during the national championship game as she patrolled the sidelines in a green letterman-style Louis Vuitton jacket and a matching pair of shoes.

Every time South Carolina plays, viewers pay attention to what Staley wears. And in the first two games of the 2022-23 season, the coach used her wardrobe to make a statement.

Both of her outfits centered around Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury star who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Russia since February.

Against Eastern Tennessee State on Nov. 7, Staley sported a sweatshirt with Griner’s face on the front and her jersey number on the back. And when her team took on Maryland on Nov. 11, in a much-anticipated contest televised on ESPN2, Staley wore a shirt that read “Phree BG” in the style of the Phoenix Mercury logo, with Griner’s No. 42 on the front.

In regard to her BG-inspired clothing, Staley told Just Women’s Sports via the team’s communications department that “there is no formal plan to do something every game.” Rather, it’s “all a game-time decision.”

Still, whether it’s through her wardrobe or her words, Staley continues to make statements about Griner in an effort to bring her home.

“I think about her every day,” Staley told reporters after her team’s win over Maryland. “I hope she doesn’t lose hope … We have to be her hope.”

Since Griner was arrested at a Russian airport for carrying a small amount of hashish oil in her bag, Staley has been at the forefront of the movement to keep Griner’s name in conversation.

Staley’s Instagram and Twitter accounts are full of daily photos of her orange “Free BG” pin, the black block letters standing out against the bright background.

She accompanies the photos with the number of days Griner has been detained – 273 as of Thursday – as well as a message of love and support for Griner and the hashtags #FreeBrittneyGriner and #WeAreBG.

Staley told Insider in October that she speaks about Griner so frequently because “BG is an incredible person with a big old heart.”

The two have a personal relationship that makes her detainment even more difficult for Staley to stomach. She coached Griner and Team USA to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

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Dawn Staley coached Brittney Griner and Team USA at the Olympics last summer in Tokyo. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

More than that, though, Staley believes in always doing the right thing, a way of living her mother instilled in her long ago.

“I’m my mother’s child,” she told Just Women’s Sports in June. “I grew up in a disciplined household, and I watched my mother be the example of doing the right thing. And the right thing isn’t always popular, but the right thing is the right thing.”

Among the basketball community, Staley’s support of Griner is met with positive reactions, but when she puts those views out into the world – and out onto the internet – there is always some negativity. She doesn’t care.

“We have to give a voice to the voiceless,” she said.

And right now, Griner is voiceless. The 32-year-old is serving a nine-year sentence in a Russian penal colony in the town of Yavas, 310 miles from Moscow.

Within the sphere of women’s basketball Griner has received an outpouring of support. Her teammates and friends in the WNBA continue to push her name forward, through social media, interviews, clothing and photos.

Friend and teammate Skylar Diggins-Smith wore an outfit dedicated to Griner during All-Star weekend, and the court where the game took place featured her initials. The players also came out in the second half of the All-Star game wearing No. 42 jerseys with Griner’s name on the back.

Now, college teams are following the WNBA’s lead.

Baylor, the program Griner led to a national title in 2012, is wearing patches on their jerseys with her initials, the number 42 and a heart to show their love and support for the WNBA star.

Baylor coach Nicki Collen and the Bears program have been vocal in their support of Griner, even as Griner’s former Baylor coach and current LSU coach Kim Mulkey has remained silent.

“BG’s family. She’s Baylor family,” Collen said in September. “To me, anything we can do to help her and her family is important.”

Stanford held a moment of silence for Griner before its opening game of the season, and the Cardinal plan to wear patches for her as well – they’ve been ordered but have yet to arrive.

Activism has long been a part of women’s basketball, as players constantly speak about causes that are important to them, from the Black Lives Matter movement to LBGTQ+ rights, among others. For many of those athletes and coaches, speaking up is second nature.

“We are tireless when it comes to doing things the right way and speaking up for all the right reasons,” Staley said of the women’s basketball community.

And right now, they are tireless in their fight for Griner and her freedom. That fight comes in many forms: through words, through actions, and sometimes through wardrobes. And for Staley, it’s all of the above.

Wimbledon Increases Prize Money, Winner to Receive $4.07 Million

Czechia's Barbora Krejčíková celebrates a point during the 2024 Wimbledon final.
2025 Wimbledon competitors could win up to 11.1% more prize money this year. (Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)

Wimbledon is leveling up, as the annual London-based Grand Slam announced Thursday that it's increasing its purse by 7% across the board in 2025, pushing the total prize money to £53.5 million ($72.59 million) ahead of tennis tournament's June 30th kick-off.

Both the 2025 women's and men's singles champions will earn winner's checks in the amount of £3 million ($4.07 million) — an 11.1% increase over the amount won by 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková.

With increases across all Slam events, from singles and doubles to wheelchair competitions, even athletes who stumble early will see a raise over last year's competition.

For example, singles players ousted in this year's first round will take home 10% more than in 2024, earning deposits of £66,000 ($89,530).

The 2025 total purse now doubles the prize money offered by the tournament a decade ago, and makes Wimbledon the biggest potential payday across all four of the sport's Grand Slams.

"We're immensely proud of the fact that, if you look back 10 years, you can see the increase over that period and 7% this year," said All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club chair Deborah Jevans. "And we have listened to the players, we have engaged with the players."

Canadian Swimmer Summer McIntosh Breaks 3rd World Record in Five Days

Canadian star swimmer Summer McIntosh competes in a 2025 race.
Summer McIntosh recorded three world records in five days at the 2025 Canadian swimming trials. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Teen swimmer Summer McIntosh made a major splash at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials, shattering three world records in just five days of competition in Victoria, BC.

First on Saturday, the Toronto swimmer shaved 1.2 seconds off the Australian Ariarne Titmus's 400-meter freestyle mark to set a new world record time of 3:54.18.

Then on Monday, McIntosh took down a decade-old record in the 200-meter individual medley (IM), becoming the first woman swimmer to complete the race in less than 2:06.00.

Just two days later, the 18-year-old McIntosh broke her own 400-meter IM world record, besting her 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials time by 0.73 seconds with a 4:23.65 race Wednesday.

With her unstoppable week-long performance, McIntosh became the first swimmer to set three new world records in different individual events at one meet since US legend Michael Phelps's historic run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"Going into tonight, I knew I could do something really special because this has probably been the best meet of my career," McIntosh told reporters after Wednesday's race.

That said, the young star is already eyeing new times — and new records.

"Overall, [I'm] happy with the time, but I know I can go faster," said McIntosh following her 400-meter IM performance. "The faster I swim, the happier I am."

NWSL Returns to California for 2025 Championship Weekend

View of PayPal Park during a 2025 NWSL match.
San Jose's PayPal Park will host the 2025 NWSL Championship in November. (Eakin Howard/NWSL via Getty Images)

The NWSL Championship is on its way back West, with the league announcing on Friday morning that the 2025 title match will kick off from PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

Hosted at the home pitch of 2024 expansion team Bay FC, the game will take place on Saturday, November 22nd.

In addition to the championship match, the 2025 NWSL season's final weekend will include a variety of supporting events like Fan Fest and the annual Skills Challenge competition.

"We're thrilled to bring the NWSL Championship back to the West Coast and to a region with as rich a history in women's soccer as the Bay Area," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a league statement.

Citing a long list of former USWNT stars with local ties, including Julie Foudy, Kelley O'Hara, and Alex Morgan, Bay FC co-founder Brandi Chastain — a US legend herself — called the Bay Area "the place women's soccer calls home."

"Our community's fabric is woven with the greatest the game has to offer," explained Chastain.

"This community's passion for the game, combined with the excitement surrounding one of our newest teams in Bay FC, makes it the perfect setting to celebrate the league's top talent and crown our next champion," said Berman.

How to attend and watch the 2025 NWSL Championship

Like last year, the 2025 NWSL Championship will air in primetime, with CBS set to broadcast the match live at 8 PM ET on November 22nd.

Tickets to the game will be available for purchase beginning in August, though interested fans can sign up for presale access online now.

NWSL, WNBA Player Unions Address ICE Raids, Voice Solidarity with Los Angeles

Orlando Pride players huddle before a 2025 NWSL match.
The NWSLPA and the WNBPA put out a joint statement addressing this week's ICE raids in Los Angeles. (Alex Menendez/Getty Images)

The NWSL and WNBA Players Associations teamed up to release a joint statement on Thursday, with the unions expressing their solidarity with "all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity" after the recent ICE raids and ensuing protests in Los Angeles.

The move comes after Angel City published their own social media post addressing the ICE raids last Saturday, with the Los Angeles NWSL club noting "We know that our city is stronger because of its diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it, and call it home."

ACFC also directed immigrants in need of assistance in the wake of the ICE raids to two community organizations: the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights and the LA County Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Calling the WNBA Players Association "leaders in this space," NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke told The Athletic that the basketball union initiated their joint statement.

"It's important to stand together as workers' unions," she noted.

NWSL and WNBA unions speak to families impacted by ICE raids

"It's not lost on us that this country and the world are in turmoil right now," wrote the NWSLPA and WNBPA. "Across the country, families are facing fear, hardship, and uncertainty tied to immigration."

The athlete unions then crystallized their position, saying, "We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go."

"Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," they continued. "We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate."

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