South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at Thursday night's ESPY Awards.
Staley joins a long list of recipients, including Dick Vitale, Liam Hendriks, Jim Kelly and the late Stuart Scott and Craig Sager amid their battles with cancer and Eric LeGrand after he was paralyzed following a tackle at a Rutgers football game.
The coach received the award, named after famed basketball coach Jim Valvano for his famous speech at the 1993 ESPYS, for her leadership efforts in women's sports and her help in the fight against cancer.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Dawn Staley accepts the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance onstage during the 2024 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
During her impassioned acceptance speech, she called for pay equity.
“How do I not fight injustice when I ask them to do things the right way?” Staley said. “How do I not ask for justice when I ask them not to fool themselves, not to take shortcuts? How do I not fight for equity when I tell them they can go as high as they want, they can be anything they want?”
“How can I avoid fighting wage disparity when I'm doing the same job and getting paid less, but making more? They're watching me; I can't ask them to stand up for themselves if I'm sitting down, nor can I ask them to use their voice to create change if I'm only willing to whisper. So when someone tells me to shut up and give advice, I just say no. I have a job to do.”
Dawn Staley speaks at the ESPYS. (Getty Images/Frank Micelotta)
SERENA WILLIAMS THROWS HARRISON BUTKER AS SHE CELEBRATES WOMEN'S SPORTS AT THE ESPYS: 'WE DON'T NEED YOU'
According to USA Today, Staley's $3.1 million salary this year is the second-highest among female coaches, but would be 38th-highest among male coaches.
Earlier this week, she asked Barack Obama if the United States could “borrow” his wife, Michelle, for “four short years.”
She also recently showed her support for transgender women in women's and female sport.
“I'm of the opinion that if you're a woman, you should play. If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to do that. That's my opinion,” Staley said. During the March Madness tournament.
Asked if she thought “transgender women should be able to participate in women's college basketball,” Staley replied, “Yes.”
Aubryanna Hall, Chloe Kitts, Raven Johnson, Dawn Staley, Sania Feagin, Te-Hina Paopao, Tessa Johnson, Ashlyn Watkins, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Adhel Tac and Sakima Walker attend the 2024 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Staley and the Gamecocks completed a perfect season by defeating Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the national championship game in April. It was their third title and second in three seasons.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on Xand subscribe to The Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
