Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 19, 2021 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com Dawn Staley is a Legend in the Making coach and player is Staley? Let us count the ways. DAWN During her four seasons in college, she led Virginia to four NCAA Tournament, three Final Fours and one national By John Harris Jr. championship game. VILLAGER Sports She was named national Columnist player of the year in She is... 1991 and 1992. the DREAM. (VILLAGER) - South The national high Carolina women’s bas- school player of the year, ketball coach Dawn Staley is a three-time Staley, one of the great Olympic gold medalist. Black college coaches of She was voted by fans as all-time, male or female, one of the top 15 play- is a rare treasure to be ers in WNBA history and appreciated, admired was elected to the and honored. Naismith Memorial Bas- Staley leads the ketball Hall of Fame in Gamecocks into the 2013. NCAA Tournament as While still a WNBA the No. 1 overall seed. player, Staley, a Philadel- South Carolina faces phia native, also Mercer in the first round coached hometown Sunday at the Alamodome in San An- women’s program and tonio. Due to the threat guided the Owls to six of COVID-19, every tour- NCAA Tournament ap- nament game will be pearances. played in San Antonio, Now at South Caro- Austin or San Marcos, lina, Staley produced the with the championship program’s first No 1 Dawn Michelle Staley is an American Hall of Fame game scheduled for April overall ranking in 2014, player, current University of women’s 4 at the Alamodome. making her only the sec- basketball coach, and three-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist. If you can make it ond individual to both to San Antonio in per- play and coach a No. 1 male or female, to win able five times. The to COVID-19. She also more than the price of son, Staley is definitely ranked team. the Naismith Award Gamecocks have ad- won the other three admission to determine worth the effort and sac- In 2017, Staley honoring the nation’s vanced to the Elite Eight major national coach of if she can lead South rifice to observe up close guided South Carolina to top basketball coach, as three times in the last the year awards, after Carolina on another title and personal. Check her the program’s first both a player and coach. five NCAA Tournaments. she led her team to a 32- run. Her considerable out because the sister is women’s basketball na- Let that sink in for South Carolina would win season and a final input not only puts her bad - in a good way. If tional championship. a minute. have been the No. 1 No. 1 ranking before the on the map, it also high- Staley were a man, she Later that year, she was Entering this year’s overall seed last year tournament was can- lights the contributions would have a candy bar named head coach of NCAA Tournament, until the NCAA Tourna- celed. of female basketball named after her. She is the USA national team. Staley’s South Carolina ment was canceled due Staley is worth far players everywhere. legendary. In 2020, Staley be- teams have been the No. Just how great of a came the first coach, 1 overall seed a remark- Cynthia Erivo Plays Aretha Franklin in the Upcoming Third Season of National Geographic’s “Genius”

National Geographic Television.

(VILLAGER) - Na- the Queen of Soul. “Ge- prodigy, an outspoken tional Geographic has nius: Aretha” will pre- civil rights champion, unveiled the trailer and miere March 21 on Na- and widely considered long-awaited release tional Geographic, and the greatest singer of date for “Genius: two new episodes will the past 50 years, receiv- Aretha Chain of Fools,” air on the following ing countless honors the third entry in its three days. throughout her career. anthology franchise. Season 3 will ex- Without knowing how The trailer can be plore Aretha Franklin’s to read music, Franklin viewed on YouTube at musical genius and in- taught herself to play https://youtu.be/ comparable career, as the piano and is re- ryGpdVuuq_Y. well as the immeasur- garded as one of the The eight-part sea- able impact and lasting world’s bestselling mu- son will center on the life influence she has had sical artists of all time, of musician and civil on music and culture with more than 75 mil- rights leader Aretha around the world. lion records sold during Franklin, also known as Franklin was a gospel her career.