Let ‘Em Cook

Dawn Staley, Niele Ivey: Women's College Basketball Coaches Setting a Standard of Excellence for Black Women in Leadership

Big Dawn and Niele come through fryin' (stuff), hey, let ’em cook, Image credit: RDNE Stock project 

The kitchen has a saying: “Let the chef cook.” In women’s college basketball, two chefs have been absolutely torching the kitchen for the past few seasons. We’re talking grandma cooking Easter dinner-level: Dawn Staley at South Carolina and Niele Ivey at Notre Dame. 

Let’s be clear: They’re not just coaching. They’re culture-shaping, standard-setting, legacy-building. And they’re doing it while being unapologetically Black, stylish, commanding, and rooted in sisterhood, community and excellence. 

And yet – still – in 2025, there’s this subtle undertone (and sometimes overt messaging) that their success is some sort of anomaly. Like it’s a surprise. Like Black women haven’t always had the magic. Spoiler: They have. We just haven’t always seen it on this big of a stage. And now that we do, it’s time to stop marveling like it’s some unexpected miracle and start normalizing their dominance.  

Dawn Staley: The Blueprint 

Let’s start with Dawn. She’s not new to this  – she’s true to this. A Philly legend with Olympic golds as both a player and coach, Staley took over South Carolina in 2008 and did what she’s always done: work, build, win, repeat. But what separates Dawn isn’t just her trophies (though she has plenty). It’s her full-circle holistic leadership. She builds programs the way aunties build Sunday brunch gatherings – with love, intention and that unspoken knowledge passed down through generations. 

She’s recruited and developed powerhouse talents like A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and the 2024 national championship squad. But beyond the Xs and Os, Dawn’s legacy is about presence. She wears hoodies with Black women’s faces. She uses her press conferences to speak truth. She signs multi-million-dollar contracts and then shares her salary info publicly so other women – especially Black women – know their worth. 

Dawn doesn’t just coach basketball. She’s redefining what leadership looks like in a space that too often limits Black women to assistant roles or “player development” lanes. She is the blueprint.  Niele Ivey: The Evolution 

Then there’s Niele Ivey, who stepped into the head coaching job at Notre Dame after her mentor, Muffet McGraw, retired in 2020. She’s been an assistant under McGraw and then in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies, so she wasn’t just collecting experience; she was out here getting PhDs in hoops. 

From day one, Niele brought poise and vision. She made it clear she wasn’t trying to be Muffet 2.0. She was going to be Niele, fully and authentically. That means fly fits on the sideline (seriously, she stays camera-ready), a calm-yet-fierce coaching style and an ability to connect with her players in a way that only someone who’s walked in their exact sneakers can. 

By 2024, Notre Dame was back to being a tournament mainstay. Niele proved she could handle the weight of the program – and she did it with class, cool and community. She’s also a mom (son Jaden plays for the Detroit Pistons), a mentor, a movement. 

Division 1 Black women basketball players: 40% Division 1  Black women head coaches: FAR less.

Why This Matters – A Lot 

Now here’s where we zoom out. For decades, Black women have been the backbone of women’s basketball — as players, fans, and culture drivers. But coaching? Not so much. Even though more than 40% of Division 1 women’s basketball players are Black, Black women make up a tiny fraction of head coaches. That disconnect is not by accident. It’s the result of systemic gatekeeping, biased hiring practices and a long history of valuing Black labor but not Black leadership. 

So when Dawn and Niele win – and win big – it chips away at those barriers. It gives athletic directors fewer excuses. It forces media narratives to adjust. It gives players someone who looks like them and leads like them.  

Representation isn’t just about photos in a media guide. It’s about vision. It’s about belief. For every little Black girl watching March Madness, seeing Dawn and Niele stomp the sidelines in the heels and hoodies, they’re seeing a possibility model. A road map. A reason to dream past the court. 

And here’s the thing: This isn’t a “DEI” diversity project. This is about excellence. These women are flat-out great at what they do. The fact that they’re Black isn’t the story – it’s the context. It matters, but it shouldn’t be the asterisk. It should be the exclamation point.  

Stop Acting Surprised 

So here’s my ask: Stop being surprised when they win. Stop acting like it’s some feel-good underdog tale when Black women are excellent. Recognize the system finally gave them the keys – and now, they’re driving Caddies. 

Let’s stop calling it “trailblazing” every time a Black woman gets a shot. Let’s start asking why it took so long – and, more importantly, how we ensure she won’t be the last. Because Staley and Ivey aren’t one-offs. They’re proof when given real resources, real support, and real autonomy, Black women don’t just show up – they show out. 

The Bottom Line 

Women’s college basketball culture is changing, and it’s better for it. More stylish. More joyful. More honest. More us. 

Dawn and Niele are cooking. Let’s not just cheer from the sidelines – let’s set the table, pass the hot sauce, and make sure the next generation of Black women coaches know: the kitchen is theirs too.