After the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team won the 2024 NCAA championship, head coach Dawn Staley gave glory to God. However, she simultaneously said that there was “something wrong” with people who don’t have faith in God.
In light of these comments, a secular activist group, the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), criticized Coach Staley’s faith-based comments, calling upon the University of South Carolina to take action against her.
After her team defeated the University of Iowa, led by star Caitlin Clark, Staley said, “God is really funny. He’s really funny. The devastating loss that we had last year, He put us back here with a totally different team.” She continued expressing her faith boldly, “If you don’t believe in God, something is wrong with you.”
“Seriously! I’m a believer. I’m a believer because He makes things come true,” Staley proclaimed, emphasizing God’s powerful, empowering nature that can make the impossible happen. “When you’re at your worst, He’s at his best. Look at him!”
However, the FFRF, an organization that focuses on the separation of church and state and other secular causes, did not take kindly to Staley’s comments. The group lamented that the head coach has continuously given a “gameday devotional.”
“Staley has continued her practice of preparing ‘gameday devotional’ for players and sharing these chosen bible verses on her social media pages as ‘Head Coach of South Carolina Women’s Basketball,’” according to a statement from the FRFF. “This is inappropriate for a number of reasons, including the fact that her X account is directly linked to the South Carolina Women’s Basketball account.”
The organization continued its criticism of Staley, suggesting that she frames her games as having God exclusively on her side. The FFRF claimed she is creating an exclusive environment that makes non-Christians feel excluded. Watch Staley’s comments below:
“She continues to describe each game as ‘Jesus versus’ whoever the team’s opponent is, creating a Christian environment within the basketball program that excludes non-Christian and nonreligious players….FFRF has written to the university a number of times previously about Staley’s ostentatious religiosity, but she has only ramped it up,” the statement continued.
“The University of South Carolina must take action to protect its student athletes and to ensure that Staley understands that she has been hired as a basketball coach and not as a pastor, FFRF insists,” the group added, urging the school to take action.
The American Tribune reported on other criticism from the FRFF waged against Staley’s Christian comments. Freedom From Religion staff attorney Christopher Line wrote to University of South Carolina President Michael Amiridis, claiming “Staley’s ongoing promotion of her personal religious beliefs and her denigration of non-Christians through the women’s basketball program.”
Line implied that Staley’s comment could create an unwelcoming atmosphere for non-Christian players. “Current and future non-Christian and nonreligious players should feel welcome and respected as part of the women’s basketball team, not be told by their coach that they are on a team that is representing Jesus and that ‘if you don’t believe in God, something is wrong with you,’” the staff attorney continued.
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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