Dawn Staley Reps Seahawks Jersey in Support of Former Gamecock Nick Emmanwori Ahead of Super Bowl Clash
On a day when South Carolina women’s basketball is locked in a high-stakes SEC battle, head coach Dawn Staley found a way to show love for one of her own-while keeping her eyes on a much bigger stage later in the evening.
Staley, always one to support her players past and present, showed up to Thursday’s game against Tennessee wearing a Seattle Seahawks jersey-specifically, a No. 3 jersey for rookie defender Nick Emmanwori. The timing?
Not a coincidence. The Gamecocks tipped off just a few hours before Emmanwori takes the field in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.
This isn’t just about school pride. Emmanwori, a former South Carolina standout safety, is also dating current Gamecocks point guard Raven Johnson. So for Staley, it’s personal on multiple levels.
“I gotta go with Ray Ray’s man,” Staley said earlier this week, nodding to Johnson’s relationship with Emmanwori.
Emmanwori’s rise has been one to watch. After three seasons under coach Shane Beamer in Columbia, he declared for the draft in 2024 and was picked up by Seattle in 2025.
Now, in his rookie year, he’s playing on the sport’s biggest stage. It’s a remarkable trajectory, and Staley, who coached him from the sidelines of a different sport, is all in.
"I got an association with the Seahawks and Nick so bring it on home, Nick," she said. "I know your ankle... I know you're gonna do whatever you need to do to play."
That ankle-injured just four days before the Super Bowl-adds another layer of drama to Emmanwori’s debut on football’s grandest platform. But if there’s one thing Gamecock fans know, it’s that Emmanwori doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Staley herself is no stranger to Super Bowl traditions. Just last year, she made a quick turnaround from Texas to catch her hometown Philadelphia Eagles win it all. And while the Eagles aren’t in the mix this time around, her loyalty has found a new channel.
This time, it’s about a former player chasing a dream-and a coach who never stops rooting for her own.