New York Times best-selling author (that is fun to say) Dawn Staley is no stranger to success. Six-time WNBA All-Star. Three-time Division I National Championship coach. Three-time Olympic gold medalist. Hall of Famer. But if you know Staley, you know that success on the court is not what defines her. In fact, as fierce of a competitor as she is, Staley is a mainstay because of how she serves others. As she puts it: “I was given a chance. And so, in return, I wake up every morning with the intention to give others a chance, to be their ladder of hope.”

I can personally attest to Staley’s unexplainable ability to show up for people. After interviewing her just one time many years ago (and connecting on our Philly roots and favorite South Carolina/Philadelphia Eagles crossover athlete Alshon Jeffery), Staley has been a steadfast supporter of my work and family. She sent a personal video wishing my mother 40 years cancer free. She shares my work, my causes, and always responds to a text. Whether you are a player, a fan, or a friend trying to advocate for a cause, she invests in gestures that lift people up. Frankly, I don’t understand how she has the time. Superhuman may be the closest word to it. But it is that ability to make everyone around her feel important that sets her apart—as a human, athlete, and coach. While she has devoted her life to basketball, Staley knows that life is bigger than basketball. It makes sense then that she’s been successful in both.

1. We Are Limitless if We Let Ourselves Be

“To me, when I say I’m from Philly, it means there isn’t anything that I can’t accomplish.”

Where and how we grow up shapes us as athletes at every stage of life. Yet it only defines the parts of us that we allow it to. A self-described shy child, Staley struggled to lead as a young athlete. With so much talent and a naturally quiet disposition, Staley let her play on the courts of North Philly do the talking. But she learned that her talent came with a responsibility to lead. 

2. Hope Is a Ladder

“Hope is a ladder. A tool to lift yourself to a brighter future, but also a tool to lift others by your example.”

Danimás is no stranger to the Huddle: a sacred space of female allyship that transcends sports to embrace all close-knit, purpose-driven communities. Staley is steadfast in her belief that we cannot do life alone, let alone sport. With the gift of her mother’s advice, Staley shows us how we can make our own way while clearing the path for others. When you commit to your dream, whether it be sports, training, walking, or swimming, you give others hope by being an example of where you can climb if you believe in yourself. Discipline, commitment, and showing up lead those around you to follow suit—because they see the hope of success.

3. Find Your Audacity 

“You will find your audacity. You will change history just by existing. You will move the room.”

When you show up in the world as yourself, you make room for the things that are meant for you. Sometimes that is easier said than done and it requires letting go of fear. Staley states, “If my example is to do one thing, I want it to encourage people to live without the fear of judgment. I want people to feel free. To find their passion. Because once you do, life opens up.” From coaching college basketball at Temple University while still actively playing in the WNBA to never letting her flair and flavorful style of play be stifled, Staley has walked through rooms with the strength of knowing exactly who she is.

Being a world-class athlete is not about your ability to lift heavy weights or do the most squats (though we applaud that!), it is about the mentality of showing up as yourself. Follow your gut and work hard. If your mindset is to live without the fear of failure—because we will all fail many times in life—you will find your audacity. And that audacity can change history. 

4. What Is Delayed Is Not Denied

“… setbacks and defeat are gifts. Stand in the face of discomfort and smile your brightest smile. What’s delayed is not denied.”

Despite three Olympic gold medals, Staley’s career for her country did not start off the way she planned. After multiple Final Four NCAA appearances at the University of Virginia, Staley graduated with the anticipation of representing her country in the 1992 Olympics. Except she didn’t make the team. With the WNBA still years from existence, Staley admits she is not proud of her initial reaction to not making the Olympic roster.

In sport and in life, we have choices for how we respond to hard times. We can play the blame game, become angry, and give up. Or we can become undeniable. Staley heard words she will never forget, “You have to do what you don’t want to do to get what you want.” As we firmly believe here at Danimás—beginnings, however humble, contain the seeds of transformation. By getting started and standing up to take one step at a time, we stare adversity in the face and continue the process of getting exactly what we want. What is delayed is not denied.