"I work here, I'm not from here": Eagles fan Dawn Staley stays true to Philly roots over South Carolina ties

Lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has stayed true to her roots by wearing the Eagles gear on special occasions despite coaching the Gamecocks in the NCAA women's basketball scene.

Staley discussed this during the "Not Gonna Lie" podcast with Kylie Kelce, which was posted on YouTube on Friday.

The three-time NCAA champion coach and six-time WNBA All-Star has made it clear to South Carolina fans that she is proud of her native city and wears the gears even on the courtside of a Gamecocks game in the NCAA.

"I tell people down here ... I work here. I’m not from here," Staley said (Timestamp: 14:33). "Like, I’m from Philly. I mean, I rock jerseys. I wear them courtside."

Some diehard South Carolina fans noticed this and asked the veteran coach on social media to wear the school colors. However, she insisted on wearing the Eagles jerseys, especially during the team's Super Bowl 59 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I do wear the school colors. But also, when we're going as far as we're going, when we win Super Bowls, you're going to see me in some Eagles gear," Staley said (Timestamp: 15:05).

Staley also shared that her favorite Eagles player is Jalen Hurts and noted that she has offered some advice and inspirational messages to the NFL champion when needed.

During the podcast, Kelce and Staley also discussed her FIBA Hall of Fame induction, the toughest players she faced as a coach, coaching a WNBA team and the emergence of former Iowa legend and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark.

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Dawn Staley's South Carolina loses chance to acquire Canadian wing

South Carolina lost the opportunity to secure its first big commit for the 2026-27 after five-star wing Savvy Swords announced she'll take her talents to Kentucky.

The Gamecocks were in the hunt to get the No. 9-ranked women's prospect in the Class of 2026 (per On3), but Kenny Brooks' Wildcats had the more convincing offer to get the Long Island Lutheran standout.

Aside from South Carolina, UCLA, Notre Dame, and Michigan lost their bids to acquire Swords.

The 6-foot-1 Savvy Swords is the younger sister of Michigan standout Syla Swords and is the second Kentucky commit for the 2026-27 season after five-star point guard Maddyn Greenway.

As of the moment, South Carolina doesn't have a Class of 2026 commit a year after getting two five-star commits in small forwards Ayla McDowell and Agot Makeer.

Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here

Edited by Geoff