Dawn Staley’s memoir is getting a new kind of attention. On Aug. 7, Apple Books included Uncommon Favor on Ted Lasso’s list of favorite books, a notable crossover that pushes Staley’s story beyond basketball and into a broader pop-culture audience.
The recognition comes less than three months after the book’s May 20, 2025 release. For Staley, who has long been one of the most visible voices in South Carolina women's basketball, the placement gives Uncommon Favor an added layer of reach at a moment when her profile already extends well past the court.
Apple Books described the memoir with a playful nod to Ted Lasso’s “goldfish mentality,” calling Staley a “Legendary NCAA coach, former WNBA player and all-around bada**” who teaches readers how to handle setbacks with a game face strong enough to “knock you right off the court.” That framing fits the larger appeal of the book: it is not just a sports memoir, but a story built around resilience and perspective.
Staley responded on X by thanking Jason Sudeikis directly: “@jasonsudeikis Mr. Lasso himself thank you for reading Uncommon Favor!! Can’t wait to see you on at a @GamecockWBB game!” It was a fitting reaction for a moment that linked two very different but overlapping fan bases.
The connection is not entirely random. Sudeikis has been seen as a women’s basketball fan, and the timeline around this summer only reinforces that. He was spotted on July 16 wearing a South Carolina women's basketball hoodie at Fanatics Fest in New York City, and Staley and Sudeikis were at the 2026 WNBA All-Star game in Chicago in July.
For Staley, the bigger takeaway is simple: this is the kind of cultural lift that matters. A memoir released in May has now found a place on a list tied to one of television’s most recognizable characters, and that kind of visibility can carry a book well beyond the usual sports-media audience.
And for Staley, whose work has always lived at the intersection of winning, leadership and identity, it is another reminder that her influence travels far past South Carolina.
