South Carolina's Dawn Staley Reveals Surprising Team Who Pursued Hiring Her
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The South Carolina Gamecocks' women's basketball program has been among the nation's best since head coach Dawn Staley took over the program.
Staley originally became South Carolina's head coach back in the 2008-09 season. Before that, she had been the head coach for the Temple Owls from the 2000-01 season to the 2007-08 campaign.
Landing Staley has completely changed the Gamecocks. She has led the program to three national championships and has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the second half during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game against the NC State Wolfpack at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April...
Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the second half during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game against the NC State Wolfpack at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 05, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. More
Photo byWhile South Carolina's hiring of Staley changed everything for them, the budding legendary head coach was pursued by another school first.
Read more: WNBA Fans React to Paige Bueckers' Massive Unrivaled Contract
Recently, Staley opened up and shared that the Alabama Crimson Tide tried to hire her when she was still coaching Temple back in 2005.
"Alabama came after me first in 2005," Staley wrote. "I visited the campus. I liked the athletic director. But I couldn't see myself living in Alabama."
That was a stroke of good luck for the Gamecocks.
She went on to open up about wanting to coach South Carolina and why the job gave her so much intrigue.
"I was drawn to the fact that USC was part of the SEC and its storied legacy in women's basketball," Staley wrote. "Pat Summitt was in this league, Andy Landers, Melanie Balcomb, all these legendary coaches. I was looking to refine my skills, rise to compete with the best. The cherry on top was that my parents were originally from South Carolina."
Things could easily have been much different. Had Staley decided to take the Alabama job, there is a good chance that she would have never come to the Gamecocks. The entire landscape of women's college basketball could be different.
Read more: Mystics HC Sends Warning About Fever Without Caitlin Clark
Since taking the South Carolina job, Staley has compiled an eye-opening 475-110 record, which is good enough for an 81.2 win percentage.
Last season, the Gamecocks finished the year with a 35-4 record. They made a run in the NCAA Tournament and made it all the way to the national championship game. Unfortunately, they ran into Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma, and the UConn Huskies and lost by a final score of 82-59.
Despite the disappointing championship game loss, South Carolina is expected to be right back in contention during the upcoming 2025-26 women's college basketball season. With Staley leading the way, the Gamecocks are always going to be a contender.
For more women's college basketball news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Liam Doyle by the numbers for Tennessee baseball in 2025 Knoxville Regional
Liam Doyle by the numbers for Tennessee baseball in 2025 Knoxville Regional No. 14 national seed Tennessee (46-17) advanced to a super regional in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Vols will face No. 3 national seed Arkansas (46-13) in the Fayetteville Super Regional. The Razorbacks won the Fayetteville Regional and did not lose in three contests. Tennessee won the Knoxville Regional on Monday, defeating No. 2 regional seed Wake Forest (39-22), 11-5, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle made his second appearance for the Vols in the Knoxville Regional on Monday. He pitched 2.1 innings and recorded five strikeouts versus Wake Forest. Doyle totaled 31 pitches, including 19 strikes, against seven batters. He did not allow a hit, run or walk against the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest hit two fly outs in his relief appearance. PHOTOS: Tennessee versus Miami baseball in Knoxville Regional Against Miami University in Game 1, Doyle pitched 6.2 innings and recorded 11 strikeouts. He totaled 104 pitches (69 strikes) against 26 batters. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior allowed four hits (two doubles), one run and three walks. He forced Miami into two fly outs, six ground outs and one double play. Doyle earned a win in Game 1 and a save in Game 7. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Indiana Fever sign Aari McDonald as emergency player after Caitlin Clark injury
Indiana Fever sign Aari McDonald as emergency player after Caitlin Clark injury Show Caption Hide Caption Caitlin Clark's quad injury could affect Fever for next two weeks Caitlin Clark will miss at least two weeks with a left quad strain. Indiana Fever fans may be worried, but Clark is confident in her teammates. Sports Seriously With Caitlin Clark still out with an injury, and other players on the roster getting banged up, the Indiana Fever have added a guard to help. Indiana signed Aari McDonald Monday via an emergency hardship exception. The exception allows any WNBA team to sign a player immediately if it has less than 10 game-eligible players available at any time during the season. The signing comes as Clark remains sidelined due to a left quadriceps strain that was announced following the loss to the New York Liberty on May 25. The 2024 WNBA rookie of the year will miss at least two weeks with her first possible game back on June 10 at the Atlanta Dream. Clark isn't the only injured player the Fever have. Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson were injured in the team's loss to Connecticut Sun on Friday, leaving Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull as the only healthy point guards for Indiana, paving the way for the Fever to sign McDonald. 'When I got the call I was very excited, very blessed," McDonald said Monday. "It's a humbling experience to join a team like the Fever, and I'm excited, ready to compete and just win.' Indiana is 2-4 on the season and is on a three-game losing streak. What to know about Aari McDonald McDonald burst onto the scene as a member of the Arizona Wildcats after starting her college career at Washington. She had a memorable senior season in Tucson as she was named Pac-12 player of the year and led Arizona to its first Final Four appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advanced to the national championship and lost by one-point to Stanford. She was drafted third overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in her first season. McDonald played three seasons in Atlanta before she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks prior to the 2024 season. She played in 26 games for Los Angeles and was released by the team before the start of the 2025 season. In four years in the league, McDonald has averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 assists and 2 rebounds per game. When do the Indiana Fever play next? The Indiana Fever host the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be televised on NBA TV and can be streamed on WNBA League Pass.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M will reportedly play rising Big 12 team during the 2025 season
Texas A&M will reportedly play rising Big 12 team during the 2025 season Sources: Texas A&M will play at Oklahoma State as part of its 2025-26 non-conference schedule im year one under @BuckyBasketball . The date is set for November 9th, at Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU will play a return game at Reed Arena in '26-'27. — Billy Liucci (@billyliucci) June 2, 2025 Texas A&M's 2025 basketball season is poised to be one of the most exciting campaigns in program history, as new head coach Bucky McMillan brings an exciting play style that Aggie fans have not seen since Billy Gillispie led the program almost two decades ago. After bringing in nine players from the transfer portal, the 2025 Aggie basketball team is talented enough to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid in 2026. McMillan's coaching staff is now all but complete. While he will likely add one or two more players from the transfer portal before the season begins, we can now focus on the out-of-conference schedule, which will reportedly include a matchup with Oklahoma State in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday, November 9. The Cowboys are one of the more respectable programs in the Big 12, and despite several down years, they always provide a competitive showing. Like Texas A&M football's home-to-home matchup with Notre Dame, culminating with Week 3's road match against the Irish this coming season, Texas A&M will host Oklahoma State during the 2026-2027 season, providing both teams a chance to protect home court. Like McMillan, Oklahoma State head coach Steve Lutz is one of the up-and-coming young coaches in the country. While his first season resulted in a 17-18 finish, his future is bright after bringing in six transfers this offseason. The Cowboys are expected to be competitive in the Big 12 next season. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
