“She’s bigger than life,” was how Bakari Sellers, the former South Carolina state representative, described Dawn Staley at the Democratic National Convention in 2024.
And after leading the South Carolina Gamecocks to a flawless 38-0 season to win a third national championship against Iowa, we had to agree. There’s definitely something special about how Staley steered the relatively young team to a massive victory.
“You have to let young people be who they are,” said the three-time Olympic gold medalist coach. “But you also have to guide and navigate them. They made history. They etched their names in the history books.”
The Hall of Famer is undeniably making huge waves on the court, but what about outside?
Fans of the legendary women’s basketball coach have long been curious about Staley’s romantic life outside the basketball court. And if you’re one of them, you’re in luck, here’s everything we know about the swirling Dawn Staley wife rumors.
Is Dawn Staley Married?
For outsiders, it may appear she’s devoted her entire life to college basketball. And, for sure, the 54-year-old basketball coach and icon rarely, if never, talks about her relationships.
The short answer? No, she doesn’t have a wife—or a husband, for that matter—at least as of the time of this writing. Staley never married and appears to be single at the moment.
Marriage Rumor With Assistant Coach, Lisa Boyer
The closest mention of marriage we’ll ever get from Staley is a 2018 tweet directed to her assistant coach, Lisa Boyer. Knowing it’s the only “romantic talk” they’ll ever get, the coach’s fans took it and ran with it.
Boyer!! We are that old married couple who started young and will grow old together. You put the ride and die in the RIDE and DIE! Proud of you Boyer. Thanks for sacrificing your career to help to me serve our teams, program, university and state. What a ride?! ❤️❤️ https://t.co/MLgYWYGbGR
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) May 7, 2018
In the tweet, Staley wrote:
“Boyer!! We are that old married couple who started young and will grow old together. You put the ride and die in the RIDE and DIE! Proud of you Boyer. Thanks for sacrificing your career to help [to] me serve our teams, program, university, and state. What a ride?!”
Immediately after, Boyer responded:
“What Dawnnie?!?! 10 years!!! Went by in a blink. Laughs, tears, joys, disappointments, heartaches, and victories, BUT always shoulder to shoulder. [It’s] been a ton of fun so let’s get this next 10 started!!!”
Unsurprisingly, the exchange between the two attracted plenty of attention from the netizens. Some even took it as a sign that the two were a couple—even secretly married.
Who Is Lisa Boyer?
Lisa Boyer is a former assistant coach and now associate head coach helping Staley. They have been together on the team since 2008 and continue to be the guiding pillars of the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Despite swirling talks of their romantic involvement, the powerhouse coaches seemed to have nothing but deep friendship and mutual respect for one another.
Dawn Staley Coaching with Lisa Boyer
Image source: Pinterest
While not as decorated as Staley, Boyer was a successful athlete who played for Ohio State. Before joining South Carolina, she worked as a coach for several other institutions, including Virginia Tech, East Carolina University, and Davidson College.
Lisa Boyer was born in Ogdensburg, New York. She attended Ithaca College and played as a forward for the college team. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Science in 1979.
Dawn Staley Biography
Staley is one of five children born to Clarence and Estelle Staley. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Early Life
Growing up with three brothers, Staley became interested in playing basketball. She would play with the boys of her neighborhood and exhibited great potential on the court. This experience became a source of confidence for the young Staley whenever she played against other girls.
She later attended Dobbins Tech and became an important member of the high school’s women’s basketball team, leading her teammates to three straight public league championships.
In her senior year, Staley’s skill with the ball was so phenomenal she was named National High School Player of the Year and was offered several scholarships.
The future Olympic gold medalist chose to be in the Cavalier at the University of Virginia (UVA), where she played guard and led the team to an impressive 110-21 record.
At the end of her college years, Staley would bring home multiple prestigious awards, including a Sports Illustrated Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and National Player of the Year Award for two consecutive seasons.
Staley’s jersey was retired to UVA to commemorate her incredible contributions. The No. 24 white and orange uniform now hangs above the John Paul Jones Arena.
Olympic Women’s Basketball Career to WNBA
After leaving her mark on UVA’s history, Staley played overseas for some teams, including France, Brazil, and Spain. She remained overseas from 1992 to 1995.
When she returned home in 1994, Staley played for the USA team in the World Championships and earned the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year Award.
In 1996 Staley was drafted for the Olympics. You can probably guess what happens next. The then-26-year-old UVA alum brought home not one, not two, but three gold medals from the 1996 to the 2004 Olympics.
Dawn Staley Leads the American Team During the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
Image source: Thestate
Interestingly, Staley was previously cut from the 1992 Olympics team for her height and lack of experience.
“They told me there were two reasons why I got cut,” she reported to ESPN. “One was I was too short. Two, I didn’t have enough international experience.”
Moving on to the WNBA, Staley was a first-draft pick for the Charlotte Sting in 1999. She played guard for the team and became a Hall of Fame inductee in 2013.
Dawn Stale Enshrined in Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Image source: Google
Dawn Staley Supports Transgender Athletes
Some may find the news of the 53-year-old South Carolina coach not having a wife disappointing. Staley, however, was never shy of vocalizing her support for the transgender community, especially for aspiring basketball athletes.
Staley said, expressing her uncoated view of the issue, “If you identify as a woman and wish to compete in sports, you should have that opportunity.”
Fellow WNBA professional players, Sue Bird and Brianna Turner supported Staley’s stance on the issue, highlighting Staley’s achievements in the sport and transforming South Carolina’s team.
Final Thoughts
One of the burdens of becoming a celebrated figure is how the public wants to scrutinize every aspect of your life. I believe Dawn Staley knows this fact too well and chooses to protect her personal affairs, especially her romantic relations.
That said, although the news of their marriage turned out to be a fan-made rumor, Staley and Boyer’s decades-long friendship and love of the sport are just as inspiring.
Featured image source: Google
