Dawn Staley, in the aftermath of a near-brawl that led to multiple player ejections during the SEC Women's Championship between South Carolina and LSU, issued an apology to the basketball community. Staley's statement, which was delivered in an interview with ESPN post-game, emphasized that the heated nature of championship games can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. She expressed regret for the incident, stating it does not represent the values or the identity of her team. The apology has been widely discussed, with commentators noting Staley's leadership and the appropriateness of her response to the situation.
Dawn Staley apologizes after multiple players ejected in near-brawl in SEC Women’s Championship. https://t.co/YbUG5ksWp0
"I just want to apologize to the basketball community... When you're playing in championship games like this, in our league, things get heated. No bad intentions... I want to apologize for us playing a part in that... That's not who we are & not what we're about." - Dawn Staley https://t.co/0LEDwcudKW https://t.co/tmSoTsRcOj
Also again gotta give a shout-out to Brooke Weisbrod for how she handled that interview and the entire game, really. One of my favorites. https://t.co/uidTe18TxF
"I just want to apologize to the basketball community. When you're playing a championship game like this, things get heated. No bad intentions, their emotions got so far ahead of them that sometimes these happen. I want to apologize for us playing a part in that." Dawn Staley https://t.co/sRsP79vU6V
Dawn Staley to ESPN on the drama between South Carolina and LSU 🗣️ "I just want to apologize to the basketball community. ... That's not who we are and that's not what we're about." https://t.co/KzWnuzwIVr
Dawn Staley was the only coach that could’ve delivered that statement
That’s a great job by Dawn Staley. Owns everything about the situation. Talks to ESPN immediately after the final buzzer. Hall of Famer for a reason.
Dawn Staley’s apology is emblematic of her as a leader and coach.
Dawn Staley apologized to the basketball community post game - she is 1 of 1.