A Common Thread
In November 2021, Dawn Staley sent pieces of her 2017 NCAA championship net to Black female head coaches around the country, creating a tangible connection for a steadily growing group of women in the sport. In Division I women’s college basketball, where 21% of its head coaches identified as Black women during the 2020-21 season according to the NCAA, Staley understood the bond they shared. We spoke to several dozen of the more than 70 coaches who received a net, all of whom shared their perspectives on what it means to be a Black female head coach.