Dawn Staley has finally addressed a rumor circulating on social media about her allegedly slamming Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign. The campaign, which was released in July 2025, quickly went viral, sparking intense debates online. Some viewers criticized the ad as tone-deaf and borderline offensive, while others dismissed it as simply a marketing move for the brand.
The controversy gained further attention when Sweeney discussed it during a recent GQ interview. While promoting her upcoming film Christy, a biopic about boxer Christy Martin, Sweeney shared her thoughts on the backlash. Following that, Staley became the subject of a false report linking her to the debate.
Staley Clears the Air on Sydney Sweeney’s Ad
The rumor suggested that Staley had publicly called out American Eagle for casting Sweeney in the campaign, especially in light of the fact that Chicago Sky star Angel Reese and former LSU player were considered for the role. Additionally, the rumor falsely quoted Staley saying, “Jeans were invented by us, for us. It’s a Black legacy.”
Although the original post was later deleted, the misinformation quickly spread across platforms, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where some users even used the Community Notes feature to debunk the claims. Nevertheless, the rumor continued to circulate.
A fan, identifying themselves as a South Carolina resident and a Gamecocks supporter, confronted Staley on X, accusing her of making the comment. The Hall of Famer wasted no time setting the record straight and debunking the fake report.
“Hey Gary, living in SC… did you ever think that was fabricated?” Staley responded. “I’m sure you didn’t. Being from SC, I thought you of all people would know I didn’t say anything like that. Now you just keep falling for anything… it looks good on you!”
Dawn Staley Responds to ‘Rage-Bait’
In a separate incident, Staley herself recently became the target of playful online trolling after falling for “rage-bait” content. Last week, it was announced that South Carolina will face off against Geno Auriemma’s UConn on November 24, 2026, at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Following their national championship loss to UConn last April, the Gamecocks won’t be playing the Huskies this season due to a scheduling conflict.
During a media session, Staley was asked for her thoughts on the upcoming matchup.
“We’ve been accused of ducking them and all that crap. Come on. We’ve played UConn for the past 11 seasons. Now is the time to duck them?” Staley responded. “We could’ve avoided them years ago, but it just so happens that UConn has more games scheduled in their conference, making it difficult to keep the home-and-home series going.”
Rival fans quickly pointed out that the “ducking” claims were merely an attempt to get under Staley’s skin, and not based on any real accusations.
Looking ahead, South Carolina’s next matchup is against Clemson on Tuesday, another fierce rivalry game, while UConn faces Loyola on Wednesday.
