By Jazmyne Carr
If you asked me a few years ago what March Madness was, the only thing that would come to mind is the infamous Future song. However, my knowledge of the month-long NCAA basketball tournament quickly expanded after the 2023 and 2024 women’s basketball showdown between Caitlin Clark and fellow Baltimore native Angel Reese. Since then, both women’s professional and college basketball have exploded in popularity, making several women’s basketball players into overnight celebrities. In the fashion industry, women’s basketball players have been seen across various media from Angel Reese on the cover of Vogue to Candace Parker walking in the F/W 2025 Y-3 show and JuJu Watkins curating a collection for Nike. Several women’s basketball coaches have also gained recent popularity in the fashion world for their distinct personal styles. At the 2025 March Madness tournament, coaches Dawn Staley, Kim Mulkey, and Sydney Carter stand out for their unique, eye-catching looks. Keep reading to learn more about each coach’s style throughout this year’s tournament.
Dawn Staley
After Dawn Staley led her University of South Carolina team to victory last year, it was clear that she was not only an amazing coach but also a fashion icon. For each gameday fit, Coach Staley mixes and matches streetwear-inspired designer pieces to create looks that are both effortless and cool. Just before the official March Madness tournaments began, the coach and former professional basketball player celebrated her team’s senior night while wearing a black and white graphic Louis Vuitton windbreaker and leather pants paired with a t-shirt that featured the faces of all the team’s graduating seniors.
On Saturday, March 8, Dawn sported a cream Louis Vuitton sweatsuit with matching Louis Vuitton sneakers. She also wore a diamond-encrusted chain in the shape of the NCAA championship trophy that is personalized with all of her national championships, a bible verse, and her picture. The impressive chain was gifted by rapper Plies, who is a huge fan of the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team.
For her team’s second-round game, Dawn wore a burgundy varsity-style cardigan from Gucci, white pants, and a pair of white Gucci sneakers with burgundy accents. With each of her outfits Coach Staley can be seen wearing a stack of beaded bracelets and necklaces as a sign of support for Blakely, a young fan who is battling cancer.
Kim Mulkey
During the intense rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey, who coached Angel at Louisiana State University (LSU), began to gain national attention. At LSU, Kim currently coaches Flau’Jae Johnson, a basketball star who gained childhood fame as a contestant on “The Rap Game.” Before her tenure at LSU, Kim coached Britney Griner at Baylor University before the star joined the WNBA. Although Kim’s coaching style is controversial due to her intense, outspoken nature, there is no denying her skills as a basketball coach, especially after her 2023 National Championship win. In addition to her star players and personality, Coach Mulkey is also known for her signature style that often includes feathers, sequins, and bright colors. During the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Kim paired black flare jeans with a black crewneck that features large, embroidered patches of metallic basketballs shooting into hoops.
For the national tournament, Kim has been dressing slightly more professionally with two distinct blue blazer outfits. On March 22, Kim sat courtside wearing a light blue suit with 3-D flower appliques embellished across the jacket.
A few days later, on March 24, Kim wore a bright blue blazer with rhinestones across the lapels and shoulders. Underneath the blazer, Coach Mulkey kept things simple with an all-white t-shirt and pants.
Sydney Carter
For the 2024-2025 season, Coach Sydney Carter serves as the University of Texas Women’s Basketball’s Director of Player Development. In the 2021-2022 college basketball season, she served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Texas A&M. While playing at Texas A&M, Sydney served as captain of the 2011 championship team. After graduating from college, Sydney played as a guard in the WNBA for 3 years. Recently, Coach Carter has gone viral for her stylish courtside looks. Although there has been some controversy surrounding Sydney’s fashion sense, her ability to be unapologetically herself has inspired many young girls to dress up like her and aspire to work in sports. For this March Madness, Sydney pulled out all the stops with show-stopping looks sure to gain attention. For a March 11th game, she embraced the team’s Texas hometown by wearing a dark denim matching set with steel-toed black cowboy boots and a black belt.
At the March 18 game, Sydney continued the Texas theme by wearing a brown leather skirt set with furry cow print boots and a matching belt.
For her team’s first round win in the tournament, Sydney was seen wearing an extravagant white suit with fur trimmed sleeves, rhinestone buttons, and diamond trimmed lapels.
