Dawn Staley questions how ready the NBA is for a female head coach
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Dawn Staley’s resume speaks for itself. She’s a six-time WNBA All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. She also coached the South Carolina women’s basketball team to three NCAA Division I national championships.
Staley was one of the candidates that sparked interest from the New York Knicks after Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his head coaching duties in early June. The Knicks eventually decided to hire Mike Brown.
This week, Staley reflected on her interview experience and raised questions about how prepared the NBA is to welcome a full-time female head coach.
Staley’s argument centered on her belief that the franchise may not be willing to handle the inevitable scrutiny of a team’s performance under a head coach.
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Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks faces off against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the NCAA women’s basketball national championship game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA via Getty Images)
“If I were the Knicks coach and I had a five-game losing streak, it wouldn’t be about the losing streak. It would be about being a coach,” Staley told reporters on Tuesday.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says she would have taken the Knicks job if it had been offered
“So, as an organization and a franchise, you have to be prepared for that and be strong enough to withstand those types of situations when you hire a female coach.
“If there are franchises in the NBA that are interested in hiring a woman, you have to be prepared to put up with that and all the things that come with it,” she added.
Head coach Don Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the final semifinal game of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA via Getty Images)
When asked how confident she was about seeing a woman named an NBA head coach in her lifetime, Staley replied, “No, I don’t. And I hope I’m wrong.”
Staley also discussed her personal relationship with Knicks CEO Leon Rose and others.
“I’m a person who needs to connect with people, right?” Staley said. “So I had a connection to him (Rose) and World Wide Wes (Knicks senior advisor William Wesley), so I’ve known them my whole life. And it was a real interview. And I like to see what they’re talking about.”
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley poses for the varsity squad after their victory over the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes at Colonial Life Arena on November 24, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Jeff Blake/USA TODAY Sports)
Staley encouraged aspiring female NBA coaches to reach out to her.
“If there’s someone who’s interested in hearing about it and interested in being the first female coach in the NBA or something, I’ve got all the information. Come see me because I’ll prepare you for the interview.”
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The UConn Huskies defeated Staley’s Gamecocks in the women’s national championship game in April. South Carolina opens the 2025-26 regular season on Nov. 3 against Grand Canyon.
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