NCAA Women’s Basketball coaches made the headlines with their tactical genius in-game. Beyond their powerful play, they made serious waves with their risk-taking sartorial statements throughout this year’s tournament. As teams advanced through the rounds, coaches like Dawn Staley, Niele Ivey, Kim Mulkey, and Adia Barnes demonstrated that style and sport can go hand in hand.
South Carolina’s head coach, Dawn Staley, made all the headlines in the Sweet Sixteen round. She stepped out in the sharpest electrifying blue denim look from Alice + Olivia, making headlines all over. Her sartorial style reigned supreme even as she advanced to the Elite Eight, where she wore a head-to-toe Chanel look—turtleneck and all. Staley’s fashion-forward decisions turned more than a few heads. She snatched the top Best Dressed award for her mesmerizing attire all tournament long.
In addition to her impressive wardrobe, Staley wore Louis Vuitton during crucial games against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and Maryland Terrapins. Her flair for showbiz was on full display during the finals. She was initially photographed in a black bodysuit with turquoise embellishments, perfectly marrying comfort and glam.
As remarkable as Sparks was on the court, so was Niele Ivey, head coach of Notre Dame, on the sidelines. She wore a striking green crocodile-printed silk set from Balenciaga that featured a button-up blouse tucked into flowing palazzo pants. Ivey’s fashion sense even drew comparisons to pop icon Rihanna, as she twinned with the singer’s bold style choices.
Kim Mulkey, head coach of LSU, proved beyond a doubt she’s fashion-forward. She chose for toe-slicing knifepoint Christian Louboutin stilettos even more than once. Mulkey’s team had highlighted her stylish panache, but they had quite the steep test against UCLA in the Elite Eight. Ultimately, they failed to play to win and lost that game decisively.
Arizona’s head coach Adia Barnes brought the house down with an unforgettable fashion statement — a stark white pantsuit that commanded attention. The ensemble was strikingly highlighted by a large blue toile motif. From the sidelines, Barnes often relied on Alice + Olivia’s bold designs, cementing her legacy as a fashion-forward coach.
On the NCAA tournament stage, these coaches had a vastly increased platform to step out in their colorful ensembles. They all fought tooth and nail at the top level of women’s NCAA basketball. Every outfit came through with that swagger, with that chic. The film showed how the coaches’ cavalier attitudes went deeper than just their approaches on the court.