On Assignment: Gamecock Parade

Dawn Staley raises a 3x championship belt presented by Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. With a street named in her honor and a statue in the works, Mayor Rickenmann said it’s getting harder to find ways to honor the coach. (Photos by Sean Rayford for Getty Images)

From City Hall to the Statehouse, a gauntlet of crazed Gamecock fans packed Main St. on Sunday afternoon. United in celebration. No orange in sight.

City employees and various forms of law enforcement held back throngs of Fams wanting to get close to their national champions as the back end of a parade squeezed through the clogged artery. Enough space for a Corvette or Rolls Royce convertible.

“I don't know if everybody really understands what uncommon favor is. Because I grew up in a household where I had to be disciplined in favor is when your mother or your father told you, ‘I can show you better than I can tell you.” -Dawn Staley

To license or see additional photos, see: SC: South Carolina 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Parade

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 14: South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao dances with Kamilla Cardoso, Sania Feagin, Bree Hall and Khadijah Sessions during an NCAA Women's Basketball Championship parade and celebration on April 14, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. Dawn Staley has won three national championships as coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks and led the team to an undefeated season this year. (Footage by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)