Review of "Uncommon Favor"

It's not often I can post two reviews in two days, but I had enough time on my trip to Brooklyn for the basketball game between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty that I not only was able to read the Candace Parker memoir, but I was also able to start listening to another memoir by a legendary women's basketball figure, Dawn Staley.  This one was even better.  Here is my review. 

Title/Author: “Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother and the Life Lessons I Learned From All Three” written and narrated by Dawn Staley

Rating:  5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Whenever a person can start with humble beginnings and succeed in nearly every aspect and goals they set out to do, that makes a wonderful and uplifting story. Dawn Staley’s life has been that kind of story and her memoir, narrated by her, is one that any reader or listener will enjoy.

Of course, since Staley’s success has occurred on the basketball court, it does help if the reader is interested in basketball, especially women’s basketball.  Staley was an All-American point guard at the University of Virginia. She played and won on US Olympic Teams, including the 1996 gold medal winning team that was the spark that created the WNBA.  Staley played in that league as well before becoming a college head coach, leading first the Temple Owls and then the South Carolina Gamecocks.  It is with South Carolina where she has won two national championship and gained not only prominence but is also noted for her advocacy for addressing racism and gender equality.

Each of these topics is addressed by Staley in the book in a powerful yet humble manner.  Yes, she speaks out proudly and loudly when needed. The best example is when she talks about some unflattering comments by the Missouri athletic director after a tense game between the two schools.  After the publication of those comments, she gave a strong rebuttal and asked for an apology.  Eventually that came from the athletic director.

Speaking of athletic director, another great example of Staley advocating for change is when she discovered how much less she was making than her male counterpart coaching the men’s basketball team.  Without disparaging her colleague, she made a strong case of how much more success and visibility she brough to the women’s program and ended up with a salary that reflected her success.

Of course, the book is more than just basketball and Staley reflects much about her mother, her (and her mother’s faith) and their upbringing in North Philadelphia.  She tells the stories of the time in North Philly with as much enthusiasm and joy as she does when discussing the 2024 basketball season in which the Gamecocks won their second championship.  This was one of those books where listening to the author telling her stories was much better than reading it on paper or with an e-reader.  I always prefer audiobooks narrated by the author and this book is a great example of why I believe that is better.

 

Link: Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three: Staley, Dawn: 9781668023365: Amazon.com: Books