Dawn Staley Biography

Dawn Michelle Staley, born on May 4, 1970, is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. As a point guard, she played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers and spent eight seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association, primarily with the Charlotte Sting. Staley competed on the United States women's national basketball team, winning gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1996, 2004, and serving as head coach for the team that won gold in 2021. During her college career from 1988 to 1992 with Virginia, she set the NCAA record for steals, established the school record for points, and held the ACC record for assists. She played professionally in the American Basketball League during its three-year run before being selected ninth overall by the Charlotte Sting in the 1999 WNBA draft. Staley received six consecutive WNBA All-Star selections from 2001 to 2006 while playing for the Sting and the Houston Comets. From 2000 to 2008, she coached the Temple Owls women's basketball team while playing in the WNBA, guiding them to six NCAA tournament appearances, three conference regular-season titles, and four conference tournament victories.