An essential part of the gameday experience for Alabama A&M head women’s Basketball coach Dawn Thornton is feeling good and looking better.
This season alone, she has garnered more than seven million views on Instagram alone on her gameday outfits.
With the rise of popularity and celebration of women’s sports, coupled with her trailblazing fashion sense, it comes as no surprise that Thornton will join BeautyCon’s “Play the Game, Get the Look” panel conversation at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on July 5.
2025 marks Essence Magazine’s 55th anniversary, and this year’s theme is ‘Made Like This.’ BeautyCon strives to celebrate beauty in all its diversity, focusing on the voices and stories of women from the South who are shaping the beauty landscape and challenging outdated, one-dimensional standards in the industry.
Thornton does just that, portraying herself as a coach and an emerging fashion icon.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/VuYV7E7Bbx
— Dawn Thornton (@DivaCoachAAMU) August 16, 2024
“My style is definitely an extension of who I am”, Thornton said. “It’s confident, intentional, and sometimes a little extra, in the best way. That’s how I coach, too. I’m big on presence and energy and your preparation is your separation. Confidence is not just taught, it’s modeled, and I want them to always see that in me.”
Her daring fashion choices also reflect how she wants her student-athletes to show up in the world.
“I want my players to know that it’s okay to stand out, to take pride in how you show up, and to lead with confidence on and off the court”, she said. “I want them to know they don’t have to dim their light to lead. There is strength in owning who you are. If I can show up in a bold outfit and still handle business, it permits my players to bring their full selves into whatever space they walk into.”
Thornton believes showing up authentically helps challenge and redefine traditional expectations for coaches.
“I think just being visible and authentic already challenges a lot,” Thornton said. “There is this idea that coaches, especially black women, have to look or act a certain way to be taken seriously, and I don’t subscribe to that. I show up as myself fully, and I coach with passion and excellence. That alone shifts the narrative.”
The ‘Play the Game, Get the Look’ panel conversation will explore beauty trends that originated on the court and influenced black culture and how looking and feeling good contributes to a winning mindset. For Thornton, her game-day looks are a visual representation of her mental fortitude.
“Game day is a whole vibe, and my look is part of the energy I bring,” she said. “Sometimes the goal is to make a bold statement, and other times it’s just about feeling grounded and confident in my own skin. Either way, we treat it like part of the game plan. How I show up visually matters just as much as how I show up mentally.”
Courtesy: Alabama A&M athletics
