Dawn Staley reps another Philly hoops legend while coaching South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament

On the day she secured her 400th win as South Carolina’s head coach, Dawn Staley paid tribute to the oldest HBCU in the nation and to Philadelphia hoops legend Yolanda Laney.

On the sidelines of South Carolina’s second-round NCAA Tournament win over South Florida, Staley wore the blue-and-white jersey of the Cheyney Lady Wolves, with the name “Laney” on the back.

“When the game came on, I started getting text messages from everyone saying, ‘Are you watching? Are you watching the game? What was your number?’ And I said, ‘44′. And they said, ‘Dawn’s repping your jersey on national TV,’” Laney told The Inquirer. “I must have received maybe about 125 text messages.”

Laney played basketball for Cheyney University, known then as Cheyney State, where she was a four-time All-American. Laney led the 1982 Lady Wolves to the first-ever women’s NCAA championship game, where they lost to Louisiana Tech. Laney also took Cheyney to the Sweet 16 in 1983 and returned to the Final Four in 1984.

The Lady Wolves were coached by Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer from 1972-83. Cheyney remains the only HBCU, men’s or women’s, to appear in a Final Four or championship game.

“Having played on that national stage and competing for the first-ever NCAA championship, it’s a great honor,” Laney said. “This is like 40 years later. A lot of attention has been shown to our team because of accomplishments we made … it means a lot.”

» READ MORE: 40 years later, Cheyney pride in its historic NCAA Tournament run is strong as ever

Laney’s influence on Philly basketball had only just begun at Cheyney. She also coached locally in the Developmental Basketball League, which focused on helping young players earn college basketball scholarships. That’s where Laney and Staley first met, as the latter competed in the DBL.

“[Laney is] from Philly, grew up, she actually started leagues for us,” Staley said Sunday in her postgame press conference. “Like when I was younger, we played in something called the DBL, and she was very much a part of it ... that league that gave younger players that opportunity to just come together to play in the summertime. So [I have] fond memories of that.

“I mean, Cheyney State was the only HBCU to make it to a Final Four, and for them to be led by Coach Stringer, who opened doors that now I walk through, I mean it, I was truly honored to wear this jersey and to represent them.”

» READ MORE: Is Philly a women’s basketball city? The WNBA wants to know before it expands here.

Staley, who’s previously repped Philly sports heroes like Jalen Hurts while coaching, said postgame that a friend had gifted her the Cheyney jersey but hadn’t expected her to wear it, especially not during the Gamecocks’ second-round game on Sunday.

Staley’s tribute to Laney coincided with the Gamecocks (34-0) punching their ticket to the Sweet 16 with a 76-45 win over the Bulls (27-7).

“To see her achieve everything that she has achieved both as a player and as a coach, I’m elated,” Laney said. “I’m also very proud that it’s not just about basketball, where Dawn is concerned, it’s about social issues as well. It’s about the community, the fight to do right by minority coaches as well as that, so I’m just really proud that she’s taken a stand for not just basketball, but life in general, trying to make things and pave a way for others.”

Laney said she’s already received multiple requests from others who want their own Cheyney Laney jersey.

“With Dawn wearing that jersey today and talking about it during the press conference, that’s still opening the door and reminding people what others did before them,” Laney said. “Somebody’s gonna say the same thing about Dawn, when they come up from behind her.”