Coach Dawn Staley, Days after Viral "Believe in God" Message, in Hot Water for Comments on Transgender Athletes

Milton Quintanilla CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
Updated Apr 08, 2024

Dawn Staley, head coach of the undefeated national champion South Carolina women’s basketball team, sparked backlash this weekend after commenting that biological males who identify as female should be permitted to play in women’s sports.

During a Saturday press conference prior to the national championship game, Staley responded to a reporter's question concerning trans-identifying athletes in women’s sports. Her response was that “if you’re a woman, you should play” and that “if you consider yourself a woman… you should be able to play,” clarifying that she meant trans-identifying athletes.

As reported by The Daily Wire, Staley’s response, which came less than a week after she notably said, "If you don't believe in God, something's wrong with you," was criticized by numerous prominent pundits and activists on social media.

“Great question. Horrific answer,” popular conservative host Megyn Kelly wrote on X. “And this coach makes her dereliction twd the fairness & safety of women all about HER. Oh boo hoo she’ll get criticized. Yeah, we get upset when girls/women are endangered by social justice warriors who are SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM.”

Outkick’s Clay Travis also denounced Staley’s remarks.

“The number of women actively supporting the erasure of women’s athletics is staggering. But it’s a time for choosing, you either believe biology is real and men are bigger, stronger and faster than women or you believe in far left wing politics. There is no middle ground.”

Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer-turned-women’s sports activist, responded to Staley’s comments with the words “Lady ballers assemble," a reference to The Daily Wire-produced 2023 comedy film Lady Ballers. The film, which takes shots at men competing in women’s sports, features a cameo appearance by Gaines.

Several Daily Wire personalities, including Crain & Co. co-host David Cone, also appear in the film and replied to Staley’s remarks.

“Failure,” Cone wrote.

Congressional candidate Adam Morgan argued that U.S. tax dollars should not support “programs pushing these embarrassing ideologies.”

Meanwhile, political commentator Robby Starbuck said, “South Carolina Women’s Basketball Coach Dawn Staley says she supports men playing against women if they identify as a woman. Willing to bet some of the girls on her team disagree. She deserves every bit of criticism she’s about to get for this lunacy."

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.