College hoops fans react to throwback snaps of Dawn Staley from her WNBA days

Before she became the three-time NCAA championship-winning coach, Dawn Staley had a thriving playing career in college and later in the WNBA. She played four years with the Virginia Cavaliers before her pro career with Tarbes Gespe Bigorre, Richmond / Philadelphia Rage, Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets.

To celebrate her career, Slam posted photographs of Dawn Staley as a player to their Instagram with the caption:

“Illadelph. Dawn Staley shout out because she’s always been cold.”

During her college career, Staley was named the Naismith College Player of the Year, WBCA Player of the Year, USBWA Player of the Year, and ACC Player of the Year twice in 1991 and 1992. She led the Cavaliers to three NCAA tournament appearances including three Final Fours and one title game.

Further cementing her status as the best point guard in women’s basketball, the Phoenix Club of Philadelphia established the Dawn Staley Award in 2013. Hannah Hidalgo won the award for the 2023-24 season while Caitlin Clark won it thrice.

Dawn Staley shares her advice for young girls with collegiate dreams

After winning her third national championship in April, Dawn Staley spoke to Teen Vogue touching upon her coaching career and the current women’s college basketball scene, which is experiencing a lot of attention. She was asked for advice for any young player who wishes to make it to the collegiate level and Staley said:

“My advice would be really, it’s cliche. It is the fundamentals. I know it’s fun and exciting when you see a young lady make an incredible play. But those plays are few and far between. The real meat and potatoes of basketball, it’s playing in between those beautiful plays. And if you can get really good at the plays in between, you’re going to be a great player.”

When asked about the best advice she received growing up, her response was:

“I grew up in a disciplined household, so there wasn’t really advice. I was threatened. So I had a fear of God and my mom. I stayed within her lines.”

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks have high expectations for the upcoming 2025 season as they try to defend their NCAA title. They already enter the contest as favorites, with heavy competition from the USC Trojans and UConn Huskies.