Dawn StaleyDawn Staley reveals her childhood basketball aspirations | Image credits: IMAGN

South Carolina’s Dawn Staley could not have imagined her influence on the basketball world when she was young. However, she had planned something no woman had ever done, playing in the NBA.

The three-time NCAA champion revealed her career plans from her childhood after the Gamecocks won their contest against NC State on Sunday.

Staley said she eyed the men’s big league as the WNBA was a thing of the future. She realized the possibility of entering the men’s league and switched her focus to competing on the highest collegiate and international platforms.

“There wasn’t an outlet when I was growing up,” Staley said. “My goals and dream were to play in the NBA. The WNBA wasn’t thought about. I wanted to play in the Olympics. The Olympics, national championship and NBA is where I saw most of my basketball growing up.

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“And I only saw a woman play in two of those events, Olympics and national championship. Those were my goals, to be a gold medalist and a national champion.”

On the Division I level, Dawn Staley did not lift the title as a player. However, she helped the Virginia Cavaliers to an NCAA Final and three Final Four runs, earning All-Tourney, Most Outstanding Player, Naismith Award and other accolades.

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She also dedicated 15 years of her athletic career to Team USA, helping the nation establish its dominance on the global circuit.

Starting with the Junior World Cup roster, Staley slowly transitioned to the main squad, where she was also named the flagbearer for the Athens Olympics. She grabbed a bronze and 10 gold medals throughout her stints.

Dawn Staley continues to make international and NCAA impact

Staley is celebrated throughout the basketball landscape for her coaching acumen. She led the Gamecocks to three national titles in the last eight years, with the latest being an undefeated run.

On the global level, Dawn Staley was part of Team USA’s selection committee for the Paris Olympics. The squad she helped bring together this summer bit the gold in the 2024 Olympics, continuing the nation’s global dominance in basketball.