TAMPA, Fla. — This city holds a lot of history for Dawn Staley, A’ja Wilson and South Carolina.
It was here, in Tampa, that they played in their first Final Four in 2015, one year after Wilson committed to Staley’s program. That decision shaped South Carolina into the powerhouse it is today, and now, Staley is back, hoping to lead South Carolina to its fourth NCAA title. Wilson is here, too, hosting an event for her Nike shoe, the A’One. On Wednesday, as Wilson introduced the A’One Experience, Staley was by her side. It was a full-circle moment for the duo, but it was also a full-circle moment for Staley in another way. Because in 1999, it was Staley debuting her own shoe: The Nike Zoom S5.
It’s been 26 years since it hit the market, but Staley thinks her shoe stands the test of time.
“Oh, I have the best signature shoe,” she said with a laugh. “Mine still looks pretty good. Especially compared to some of the other ones.”
Staley has her keen eye for fashion to thank for that, but some of the credit also belongs to Michelle Bain-Brink — yes, the mother of current WNBA player Cameron Brink — who was working for Nike and assisted Staley in the design process.
Bain-Brink helped design signature shoes for Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Cynthia Cooper, but Staley’s sticks out in mind.
“Dawn’s was my favorite,” Bain-Brink said. “Because she is so real, honest, open and raw.”
Bain-Brink started the process the same way she did with any shoe. She asked about Staley’s favorite piece of clothing, had her send pictures of her closet and inquired about her home decor. But ultimately, Staley wanted the shoe to represent who she was as a player rather than focusing on a particular aesthetic. They decided on a black-and-white design, with the two colors blending together when Staley sprinted down the court. The dual-toned shoe represented the two sides of Staley, Bain-Brink said: On the court she was a beast, but off of it, Staley was chill.
“It ended up being more about her personality,” Bain-Brink said. “She wanted to really lock down the way she played. She wanted to be low to the ground, so we didn’t do visible air, and she wanted to feel locked in, so that is why we added the strap.”
While Wilson’s shoe represents the various aspects of her background, like the Celtic symbols that represent the names of her mom and dad, Staley wanted hers to focus on the game she played.
“For me, I was a basketball player, so it represented ...