Dawn Staley - The Hero
BASKETBALL - POINT GUARD - WNBA - TEAM USA
HEAD COACH - UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
ARCHETYPE: THE HERO
Day 65/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Dawn Staley’s basketball credentials are unassailable. As a player and a coach, you simply cannot look at her career and call it anything less than legendary.
In 1998, the 5’6” Staley was the National High School Player of the Year. She went on to play at the University of Virginia, where she led the Cavaliers to four NCAA Tournaments, three Final Fours, and one National Championship game. She also broke team records for scoring (2,135 points), assists (729), and the NCAA record for steals (454). She won both ACC Female Athlete of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992.
As a pro, Staley started playing overseas in France before coming back to the States in 1996 to play in the American Basketball League (ABL), which predates the creation of the WNBA. In 1999, the WNBA's Charlotte Sting selected Staley as the 9th overall pick. She played there until 2005, when she was traded to the Houston Comets for her final season.
Upon retirement as a player, just look at Staley’s incredible accolades:
WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011)
6× WNBA All-Star (2001–2006)
2× ABL All-Star (1997, 1998)
2× Honda Sports Award (1991, 1992)
2× Naismith College Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
2× WBCA Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
2× USBWA Women's National Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
2× ACC Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
But, it doesn’t end there. Because in 2000, while still actively playing in the WNBA, Staley became the head coach at Temple University. In 2008, the University of South Carolina hired Staley to build their program from the ground up. Holy wow, has she delivered.
Over the following six seasons, the Gamecocks’ record improved every year. In the 2013-2014 season, they won the SEC, earned the school’s first ever No. 1 ranking, and established themselves as a national powerhouse. A real program. Their dominance continued, as the Gamecocks won the SEC regular season from 2014-2017 and in 2020. In 2017, Staley led the team to their first NCAA Tournament Championship and was named head coach of the USA national team.
In 2020, South Carolina won the SEC and Staley won just about every national coaching award—WBCA National Coach of the Year, AP National Coach of the Year, USBWA National Coach of the Year—and became the first person to win the Naismith Award as both player and coach.
I could go on, but you get the point. Dawn Staley is the GOAT.
Character Archetype: The Hero
Dawn Staley started as the smallest hooper on her block, playing with the boys in her Philly neighborhood and earning their respect by getting buckets the hard way.
At UVA, the 5’6” point guard won Naismith Player of the Year in both 1991 and 1992. She played pro overseas, for the ABL, then in 1999 made her way into the WNBA, where she was a six-time all-star and recognized in 2011 as one of the WNBA’s Top 15 Players of All Time. She’s also got 3 Olympic gold medals.
As coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Staley led the team to a 2017 national title and built the program into a perennial contender. She’s also the head coach of Team USA, where this summer she’ll be looking to win yet another gold medal.
But that’s not even everything. Because Dawn Staley is a legend. She’s got the drip of a style icon, the voice and platform of a national leader, and the creds to back it all up.
If you’re looking for a lovable protagonist for your sports story, you’ve found her. Dawn Staley, living legend.