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Title
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Staley, Dawn (1970)
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birthday
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1970-04-04
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Birthplace
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Philadelphia, PA
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Occupation
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Athlete
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Athletic Coach
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Biographical Text
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Dawn Staley is a former basketball player and current head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. Staley grew up in North Philadelphia, and was named the national high school player of the year during her senior year season. She attended the University of Virginia as a first-generation college student, earning her degree in Rhetoric and Communication studies. Staley played basketball through college, leading her team to four NCAA tournaments, three Final Fours, and one national championship game. In 1991 and 1992, she was named the ACC female athlete of the year and the national player of the year. She left the university holding multiple of its records at the time. Post college, Staley briefly played professionally overseas, before joining the ABL and WNBA. She played for Team USA throughout her career, competing in World Championships and on multiple Olympic teams. In 1996, Staley began playing with the Richmond Rage of the ABL. In 1999, she was selected in the WNBA draft, by the Charlotte Sting. She remained on that team until 2005, when she announced her retirement upon the completion of the season. Staley began coaching in 2000, at Temple University. She remained there until May of 2008, when she announced she would be relocating to the University of South Carolina. She left Temple with the best overall coaching record. Staley has remained coaching at South Carolina since 2008, slowing building up their program from scratch. The team has won multiple titles under her leadership, and in 2024 she led them through a perfect 38-0 season, earning them their third national title. Throughout the 2000s, Staley worked as both an assistant and head coach for the USA national team, leading them to multiple victories. She won her first gold medal as Team USA's head coach at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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Contributor
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O'Neill, Iris
Dawn Staley, Mural