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Dawn Staley

Staley with the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2020

South Carolina Gamecocks

Head coach

Personal information

Born

May 4, 1970 (age 55)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

High school

Dobbins Tech
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Listed height

5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)

Career information

College

Virginia (1988–1992)

NBA Draft

1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall

Selected by the Charlotte Sting

Pro career

1996–2006

Coaching career

2000–present

League

Southeastern Conference

Career history

As player:

1994–1995

Tarbes Gespe Bigorre

1996–1998

Richmond / Philadelphia Rage

1999–2005

Charlotte Sting

2005–2006

Houston Comets

As coach:

2000–2008

Temple

2008–present

South Carolina

Career highlights and awards

As player:

6× WNBA All-Star (2001–2006)
WNBA 10th Anniversary Team (2006)
WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011)
WNBA Three-Point Shootout champion (2006)
WNBA Skills Challenge champion (2003)
2× ABL All-Star (1997, 1998)
2x USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (1994, 2004)
NCAA Tournament MOP (1991)
2× ACC Female Athlete of the Year (1991, 1992)
ACC Tournament MVP (1992)
2× Honda Sports Award (1991, 1992)
Honda-Broderick Cup (1991)
2× Naismith College Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
2× WBCA Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
2× USBWA Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
2× ACC Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
3× Kodak All-American (1990–1992)
2× All-American – USBWA (1991, 1992)
3× First-team All-ACC (1990–1992)
ACC Rookie of the Year (1989)

As coach:

3× NCAA Division I tournament champion (2017, 2022, 2024)
7× NCAA Division I regional champion – Final Four (2015, 2017, 2021–2025)
9× SEC tournament champion (2015–2018, 2020–2021, 2023–2025)
9× SEC regular season champion (2014–2017, 2020, 2022–2025)
4× Naismith Coach of the Year (2020, 2022–2024)
4× WBCA National Coach of the Year (2020, 2022–2024)
2× AP National Coach of the Year (2020, 2024)
The Sporting News National Coach of the Year (2024)
4× USBWA National Coach of the Year (2020, 2022–2024)
7× SEC Coach of the Year (2014–2016, 2020, 2022–2024)
4× A-10 tournament champion (2002, 2004–2006)
3× A-10 regular-season champion (2004, 2005, 2008)
2× A-10 Coach of the Year (2004, 2005)

Medals

Women's basketball

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold	1996 Atlanta	Team
Gold	2000 Sydney	Team
Gold	2004 Athens	Team
World Cup
Gold	1998 Germany	Team
Gold	2002 China	Team
Bronze	1994 Australia	Team
Universiade
Gold	1991 Sheffield	Team
Head coach for the United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2020 Tokyo	Team
World Cup
Gold	2018 Spain	Team
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold	2019 San Juan	Team
Gold	2021 San Juan	Team
Pan American Games
Gold	2007 Rio	Team
U19 World Championship
Gold	2015 Chekhov	Team
FIBA U18 Americas Championship
Gold	2014 Colorado Springs	Team

Dawn Michelle Staley (born May 4, 1970) is a famous American basketball coach and former player. She is currently the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. As a player, she was a point guard. She played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers. She also played for eight seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), mostly with the Charlotte Sting.

Staley was also a key player on the United States women's national basketball team. She won three gold medals at the Olympic Games from 1996 to 2004. Later, she became the head coach for the U.S. team that won an Olympic gold medal in 2021. Dawn Staley is the only person ever to win the Naismith Award as both a player and a coach. This award is given to the best college basketball player and coach each year.

During her college career at Virginia (1988–1992), Staley set many records. She held the NCAA record for steals and the school record for points. She also held the ACC record for assists. After college, she played professionally in the American Basketball League (ABL). Then, the Charlotte Sting picked her ninth overall in the 1999 WNBA draft. She was a WNBA All-Star six times in a row from 2001 to 2006.

While still playing in the WNBA, Staley also started coaching. She was the head coach for the Temple Owls women's basketball team from 2000 to 2008. She led them to six NCAA tournaments and won several conference championships.

In 2008, Staley became the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. She turned the team into one of the best women's basketball programs. She has led South Carolina to nine SEC regular season championships and nine SEC tournament championships. Her teams have reached the Sweet Sixteen twelve times and the Final Four six times. They have won three NCAA women's basketball national championships. This includes the school's first title in 2017 and a perfect season in 2024. Staley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She also joined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Early Life and Family
Playing Career Highlights
Coaching Career
Awards and Honors
Personal Life
Career Statistics
See also

Early Life and Family

Dawn Staley was born on May 4, 1970. Her parents, Clarence and Estelle Staley, moved to North Philadelphia from South Carolina in the 1950s. They lived in a housing project called Raymond Rosen Homes. Dawn grew up with her three older brothers, Lawrence, Anthony, and Eric, and her older sister, Tracey. Her father was a part-time carpenter, and her mother was a homemaker. Dawn learned to follow rules and live a good life from her strict but loving mother.

Playing Career Highlights

High School Basketball

Dawn Staley was an amazing high school player. She attended Murrell Dobbins Vocational High School in Philadelphia. In her final year, she was named the national high school player of the year. This means she was considered the best high school player in the entire country.

College Basketball Success

Staley went to the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, Virginia. She studied Rhetoric and Communication Studies. During her four years in college, she led her team to four NCAA tournaments. They reached the Final Four three times and played in one national championship game.

She was named the ACC Female Athlete of the Year and the National Player of the Year in both 1991 and 1992. Staley finished her college career with 2,135 points. She also held the NCAA record for career steals with 454 at the time. Her jersey number, 24, was retired at UVA. This means no other player on the team can wear that number again.

Playing Overseas

After graduating from college in 1992, Staley played professional basketball overseas. From 1994 to 1995, she played in France, Italy, Brazil, and Spain. This experience helped her prepare for her career in the American leagues.

USA Basketball Team

Dawn Staley played for the USA Basketball team throughout her career.

In 1989, she played in the Junior World Championship in Spain.
In 1991, she helped Team USA win a gold medal at the World University Games in England.
In 1992, she won gold with the Jones Cup Team in Taipei.

Staley was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 1994. She led the 1996 U.S. Olympic team to an undefeated record and a gold medal at the Atlanta Summer Olympics. She also won gold medals with the Olympic teams in 2000 in Sydney and 2004 in Athens.

In 1998, she helped Team USA win the FIBA World Championships in Germany. She also won another gold medal at the World Championships in China in 2002. Before the 2004 Athens Games, she was chosen to carry the flag for the United States during the opening ceremony. This is a great honor!

Professional Leagues: ABL and WNBA

In 1996, Staley joined the Richmond Rage in the American Basketball League (ABL). She led her team to the ABL finals in 1997. The team later moved to her hometown of Philadelphia. She was recognized as one of the best players in the ABL.

In the 1999 WNBA draft, the Charlotte Sting picked Staley as the ninth overall player. In 2001, she led the Sting to the championship game of the WNBA playoffs. On August 1, 2005, she was traded to the Houston Comets. Staley announced that she would retire after the Comets' season ended in 2006. The Comets made the playoffs but lost, ending her playing career. In 2011, fans voted her as one of the top 15 players in the WNBA's first 15 years.

Coaching Career

Temple Owls (2000–2008)

Dawn Staley never thought she would be a coach. But the athletic director at Temple University convinced her to visit the campus. She was still playing in the WNBA at the time. Her friends told her it would be too hard to play and coach at the same time. This challenge made her decide to try coaching.

She became the head coach at Temple in 2000. In her first season, her team made it to the WNIT (Women's National Invitation Tournament). Her teams won the Atlantic 10 tournament in 2001, 2002, and 2004. This allowed them to play in the NCAA tournament.

In the 2004–05 season, her team, the Owls, had an amazing record of 28 wins and only 4 losses. They were perfect in their conference games, winning all 19. Staley reached 100 wins as a coach that season, faster than almost any other women's basketball coach. She left Temple in 2008 with a great record of 172 wins and 80 losses. She also led them to six NCAA appearances and four Atlantic 10 titles.

South Carolina Gamecocks (2008–Present)

In 2008, Staley became the head coach for the University of South Carolina. She had to rebuild the program from the ground up. Her first two seasons were tough, but she steadily improved the team.

By the 2014–15 season, she led the program to its first number 1 ranking and first Final Four appearance. The next year, they went undefeated in their conference games.

In the 2016–17 season, the Gamecocks won their conference regular-season and tournament championships for the third year in a row. They reached the Final Four again. They then defeated Mississippi State in the national championship game to win the school's first national title. Staley became only the second African American coach to lead a women's basketball team to a national championship.

Under Staley, the South Carolina program has won nine SEC regular season championships and nine SEC tournament titles. They have made it to the Sweet Sixteen twelve times and the Final Four six times. They have won three NCAA national championships, including a perfect 38–0 season in 2024. Staley has been named SEC Coach of the Year seven times.

In 2020, Staley led the Gamecocks to a 32–1 season. They won another SEC regular season and tournament championship. The team was ranked #1 before the NCAA tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. Staley won all the national coach of the year awards in 2020. She is the first person to win the Naismith award as both a player and a coach.

In 2021, her team reached the Final Four again. On October 15, 2023, Staley signed a big contract extension with South Carolina. This made her the highest-paid Black college basketball coach in the country.

In 2022, the Gamecocks were ranked #1 all season. They won their second national championship by defeating UConn. Staley became the first coach to beat three legendary coaches (Geno Auriemma, Tara VanDerveer, and Kim Mulkey) in the same season. She also won the Naismith Award again.

On February 22, 2024, Staley won her 600th game as a coach. In 2024, she led her team to a perfect 38–0 season, winning their third national title. She also won her fourth Naismith Coach of the Year Award.

Coach Staley with a young fan after a game in 2020.

Coaching for USA Basketball

Dawn Staley has also coached for the USA national team.

In 2006, she was an assistant coach for the USA national team.
During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, she was an assistant coach. She helped the U.S. women's team win their fourth straight Olympic gold medal.
After leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 2007 Pan Am games, she coached the U17 Team in 2014 and the U19 Team in 2015. Both teams won gold medals.
She was an assistant coach for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The U.S. team won their sixth straight gold medal.

On March 10, 2017, she was named the head coach of the USA national women's team. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Staley won her first gold medal as Team USA's Head coach. Her team won all six games. Staley also coached Team USA to gold medals in the 2018 World Cup and two FIBA AmeriCups in 2019 and 2021.

Awards and Honors

Dawn Staley has received many awards for her amazing career as both a player and a coach.

As a Player:

1991 and 1992 – Won the Honda Sports Award for basketball.
1991 and 1992 – Named WBCA Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, and USBWA Women's National Player of the Year.
1991 – Won the Honda-Broderick Cup for all sports.

As a Coach:

SEC Coach of the Year multiple times (2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024).
Naismith College Coach of the Year multiple times (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024).
USBWA National Coach of the Year multiple times (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024).
AP National Coach of the Year (2020, 2024).
WBCA National Coach of the Year (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024).
2024 – Won The Sporting News National Coach of the Year.
2024 – Received the Jimmy V Award.

Halls of Fame:

2008 – Inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
2012 – Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Other Honors:

2013 – Awarded the Order of the Palmetto, a high honor in South Carolina.
2015 – Named USA Basketball Co-National Coach of the Year.
2021 – Named USA Basketball Co-National Coach of the Year again.
In May 2025, the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, declared the month of May "Dawn Staley Month."
In 2025, a statue of Staley was unveiled in Columbia, South Carolina.

Personal Life

Dawn Staley is a Christian and often thanks God after games. She leads the Dawn Staley Foundation, which helps young people with academics and sports. The foundation organizes basketball leagues and other events to raise money.

Staley also hosted a podcast called Netlife, which started in January 2022. She has a Havanese dog named Champ, who even has his own social media account! Staley is a big fan of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. She is often seen wearing their jerseys while coaching her team.

Career Statistics

College Statistics

Year	Team	GP	Points	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1989	Virginia	31	574	45.7%	35.5%	83.1%	5.1	4.6	3.3	0.3	18.5
1990	Virginia	32	574	45.2%	34.6%	78.1%	6.7	4.4	3.2	0.5	17.9
1991	Virginia	34	495	45.0%	32.4%	82.4%	6.1	6.9	3.9	0.3	14.6
1992	Virginia	34	492	48.4%	30.3%	80.8%	5.6	6.1	3.4	0.5	14.5
Career		131	2135	46.0%	33.4%	81.1%	5.9	5.6	3.5	0.4	16.3

WNBA Regular Season Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
1999	Charlotte	32	32	33.3	.415	.317	.934	2.3	5.5	1.2	0.1	2.81	11.5
2000	Charlotte	32	32	34.3	.372	.330	.878	2.4	5.9	1.2	0.0	2.84	8.8
2001	Charlotte	32	32	36.0	.381	.371	.895	2.2	5.6	1.6	0.0	3.13	9.3
2002	Charlotte	32	32	33.2	.364	.398	.762	1.8	5.1	1.5	0.0	2.50	8.7
2003	Charlotte	34	34	31.9	.417	.389	.836	1.7	5.1	1.4	0.1	2.29	7.9
2004	Charlotte	34	34	33.6	.431	.407	.759	1.7	5.0	1.3	0.1	2.18	8.9
2005*	Charlotte	23	23	29.7	.405	.405	.767	2.3	5.3	1.3	0.0	1.83	6.3
2005*	Houston	10	3	22.1	.357	.286	.900	1.7	2.8	0.6	0.1	1.20	3.3
2005	Totals	33	26	27.4	.396	.375	.800	2.1	4.5	1.1	0.0	1.64	5.4
2006	Houston	34	34	29.9	.420	.427	.806	2.2	3.9	1.0	0.2	2.24	7.4
Career	8 years, 2 teams	263	256	32.4	.399	.376	.824	2.0	5.1	1.3	0.1	2.44	7.5

WNBA Playoff Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
1999	Charlotte	4	4	39.3	.325	.438	.833	1.3	5.8	0.8	0.0	2.75	12.0
2001	Charlotte	8	8	37.6	.416	.500	.810	2.3	4.4	1.1	0.3	4.25	11.8
2002	Charlotte	2	2	39.0	.286	.200	.500	2.5	5.0	1.5	0.0	2.00	8.5
2003	Charlotte	2	2	29.0	.353	.500	.400	2.5	3.5	2.0	0.0	2.00	9.0
2005	Houston	5	0	25.0	.462	.375	.857	0.8	2.8	1.8	0.0	1.40	4.2
2006	Houston	2	2	20.0	.143	.333	.000	2.5	1.0	0.0	0.0	2.00	1.5
Career	6 years, 2 teams	23	18	33.0	.366	.423	.754	1.8	4.0	1.2	0.1	2.78	8.7

Head Coaching Record

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Temple Owls (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2000–2008)
2000–01	Temple	19–11	11–5	3rd	WNIT First Round
2001–02	Temple	20–11	12–4	T–1st (East)	NCAA First Round
2002–03	Temple	14–15	9–7	2nd (East)
2003–04	Temple	21–10	14–2	1st (East)	NCAA First Round
2004–05	Temple	28–4	16–0	1st (East)	NCAA Second Round
2005–06	Temple	24–8	12–4	3rd	NCAA First Round
2006–07	Temple	25–8	13–1	2nd	NCAA Second Round
2007–08	Temple	21–13	12–2	T–1st	NCAA First Round
Temple:		172–80 (.683)	99–25 (.798)
South Carolina Gamecocks (Southeastern Conference) (2008–present)
2008–09	South Carolina	10–18	2–12	11th
2009–10	South Carolina	14–15	7–9	T–7th
2010–11	South Carolina	18–15	8–8	T–5th	WNIT Second Round
2011–12	South Carolina	25–10	10–6	T–4th	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2012–13	South Carolina	25–8	11–5	T–4th	NCAA Second Round
2013–14	South Carolina	29–5	14–2	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2014–15	South Carolina	34–3	15–1	T–1st	NCAA Final Four
2015–16	South Carolina	33–2	16–0	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2016–17	South Carolina	33–4	14–2	1st	NCAA Champions
2017–18	South Carolina	29–7	12–4	T–2nd	NCAA Elite Eight
2018–19	South Carolina	23–10	13–3	2nd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2019–20	South Carolina	32–1	16–0	1st	Tournament canceled - COVID-19
2020–21	South Carolina	26–5	14–2	2nd	NCAA Final Four
2021–22	South Carolina	35–2	15–1	1st	NCAA Champions
2022–23	South Carolina	36–1	16–0	1st	NCAA Final Four
2023–24	South Carolina	38–0	16–0	1st	NCAA Champions
2024–25	South Carolina	35–4	15–1	T–1st	NCAA Runner-up
South Carolina:		475–110 (.812)	214–56 (.793)
Total:		647–190 (.773)
National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Conference division champion