South Carolina coach Dawn Staley fulfills championship promise to Carolyn Peck

Dawn Staley can now return a piece of Carolyn Peck's championship net.

After winning Sunday's national championship game, South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley took a moment in her press conference to share a promise that she made to Carolyn Peck, the only other African-American woman to coach a national champion.

"Carolyn Peck, a few years ago, when she was commentating, she gave me a piece of her net," Staley said. "She told me to keep it. I've had it in my wallet for years."

• South Carolina wins its first-ever women's national championship

"She said, 'When you win your national championship, just return it.'" Staley added. "I'm going to have to pass a piece of my net on to somebody else so they can share and hopefully accomplish something as big as this. I do have to give a shout out to Carolyn Peck, and I will return her net, thankfully."

The Gamecocks won their first women's basketball national championship by defeating Mississippi State 67–55 on Sunday afternoon. ​