The Real March Madness Winners? These NCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches

March Madness may have ended with UConn besting the 2024 champions, South Carolina, in the title game. But while South Carolina may not have been able to claim the title for a second year in a row, coach Dawn Staley took home the Best Dressed award. Staley lived up to the “Louis Vuitton Dawn” name during the finals, donning a black sweatsuit embellished with turquoise studs. The detail-oriented dresser also opted for a pair of black LV sneakers smatterd with the multicolored monogram.

Over the course of March Madness, Staley proved that comfort and fashion go hand-in-hand on the court. Sure, she may often be decked out in sweats, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be chic. When the Gamecocks took on the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight, Staley wore head-to-toe Chanel, and she rocked Louis Vuitton during games against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and Maryland Terrapins. Beyond Staley, the tournament proved an opportunity for the NCAA coaches to show off their fashion alongside their basketball prowess.

While Notre Dame may not have made it past the Sweet Sixteen round, head coach Niele Ivey caught our attention by twinning with none other than Rihanna. Ivey watched on from the sidelines as the Fighting Irish took on the Michigan Wolverines, dressed in a green crocodile-printed silk set from Balenciaga—a button-up blouse tucked into a pair of flowing palazzo pants. But that’s not where Ivey’s look ended. Watching on, she sat crouched in a pair of teetering knifepoint Christian Louboutin stilettos. (Once an athlete, always an athlete!)

Perhaps nobody is more famous for their courtside style than Louisiana State University coach Kim Mulkey. Though LSU was bested by UCLA during the Elite Eight round, Mulkey managed to stand out on multiple occasions. During the Sweet Sixteen round, the head coach wore an indigo denim Alice + Olivia set—a military jacket and extreme flares embroidered with gold flowers. Mulkey wasn’t the only coach who embraced Alice + Olivia’s flamboyant styles from the sidelines: University of Arizona coach Adia Barnes also opted for a white pantsuit covered in a statement-making, outsized blue toile.

Below, look back at the most stylish coaches from March Madness. While none of them took home the title this year, they can rest easy knowing they will always have their fashion sense.