Dawn Staley's Impact on Southern: A Hug and a Perfume COLUMBIA — Competitiveness and respect often go hand in hand, as demonstrated by the Southern and South Carolina women’s basketball teams during their NCAA Tournament matchup. The No. 1 seed Gamecocks (31-3) will face the No. 16 seed Jaguars (20-13) on March 21, but the encounter was marked by mutual admiration rather than rivalry. Southern, an HBCU located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had already secured a First Four victory against Samford on March 19, and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley took the opportunity to connect with both teams during her visit to Columbia. Staley, a three-time NCAA Tournament champion and a staple of March Madness since 2012, made an impression on Southern players with a gesture that went beyond the basketball court. After meeting with the Jaguars, she noticed that several Southern players had commented on her distinctive scent. To honor their praise, Staley gifted the entire team samples of her signature Louis Vuitton perfume. Southern guard Jocelyn Tate recalled the moment, noting that the room seemed to fill with Staley’s fragrance. “As soon as she got in the room, I want to say the whole room smelled like Dawn,” Tate said. “All of my teammates just kind of noticed that so we told her.” The players’ enthusiasm for Staley’s presence extended beyond the perfume. Southern guard D’Shantae Edwards shared how she found herself hugging Staley repeatedly, drawn to her scent and the warmth of the interaction. “I was hugging her so much,” Edwards said. “I just kept smelling it. I kept going back for more hugs, too. I was like wow, she smells really good.” Staley’s influence on Southern extended beyond the game.#south_carolina #dawn_staley #louis_vuitton #southern #hbcu
