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South Carolina's Dawn Staley Reveals Surprising Team Who Pursued Hiring Her

Newsweek

6 days ago

Sport
Newsweek

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.

Wisconsin women's basketball adds former NC State guard, first transfer of 2025 offseason

USA Today

09-04-2025

Sport
USA Today

Wisconsin women's basketball adds former NC State guard, first transfer of 2025 offseason

Wisconsin women's basketball adds former NC State guard, first transfer of 2025 offseason Wisconsin women's basketball made its first splash of the 2025 offseason on Saturday. Following one of the busier March windows in recent program history, the Badgers added former NC State Wolfpack transfer guard Laci Steele. Steele marks the first portal addition under recently-hired head coach Robin Pingeton, who took the reigns following former head coach Marisa Moseley's resignation. Steele initially entered the portal on March 31 after two seasons with NC State, where she averaged 2.7 points and 9.7 minutes in 55 career games. As a true freshman, Steele appeared in 32 games off the bench and notched 3.4 points in 11.8 minutes played per game. During that time, she also hit 20 three-pointers, shot 80% from the charity stripe and finished with four double-digit scoring games. The 5-foot-11 guard's production dwindled during her sophomore campaign, a season during which she recorded 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds in limited minutes. Steele arrived in Raleigh after being named the Oklahoma AAU Player of the Year, Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year and Oklahoma Max Preps Player of the Year in 2023. Her 21.3-point-per-game output as a senior at Edmund North High School, where she left as the all-time leader in both points and steals, elevated her to the No. 56 overall recruit in the class of 2023. So, while the collegiate production might not pop off the screen, Steele's ceiling is much higher than advertised. Like many college athletes, she struggled to discover consistent minutes in a crowded backcourt. She is now headed to a program in need of any offensive contributions. Above all, Steele's acquisition allows Pingeton to exhale slightly. The first move at a new program, no matter how substantial, is notable for any first-year head coach. Steele is a respectable first move, given her background and potential. Before further transfer movement, Wisconsin now rosters seven players as of April 8. Four of those seven were true freshmen a season ago and saw limited playing time in the rotation. UW will look to add more names, specifically in the frontcourt, to its roster over the coming weeks. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion

Shackley tops all freshman at NCAA Swimming Championships

Yahoo

27-03-2025

Sport
Yahoo

Shackley tops all freshman at NCAA Swimming Championships

SEATTLE (WTAJ) — Bedford native Leah Shackley scored 37 points, most of any freshman at the NCAA Swimming Championships as her NC State Wolfpack team placed tenth in the nation, while Virginia won its fifth-consecutive national championship. Shackley earned All-American status in three events. She finished fourth in the 200m backstroke with a personal best time of 1:48:52. She finished sixth in the 100m backstroke and ninth in the 100m butterfly. Ladies in Lane One: An Olympic hopeful's unlikely teammates Shackley is a Bedford native who attended last summer Olympic Qualifiers in Indianapolis. In her first season with NC State, she won four medals at the ACC Championships, including a silver in the 200m backstroke. Her 50.33 in the 100m butterfly set a new school record. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.