South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley once revealed the only two goals she had in her life that eventually shaped the rest of her basketball career. In Jan. 2022, she appeared on now-LA Lakers coach JJ Reddick and Tommy Alter’s “The Young Man and the Three” podcast.
Reddick posed a question to Staley about what she thought her next steps would be when she stopped playing basketball for a career. This is because of a prior interview of Staley that Reddick brought up, in which she had said she didn’t want to become a coach. Staley then revealed her life goals.
“You know what, you’re going to find it strange, but the only two goals that I had in life were an Olympic gold medal and a national championship. Like, I didn’t get one in college, so I thought that was long gone. I don’t set goals. Honestly, I do believe my career and my life have divine intervention. I’ll get what I’m supposed to get when I’m supposed to get it,” Staley shared (40:31).
“And that is the most uncanny thing, and I’m in the profession of helping young people set goals in life,” she added.
Later that year, Staley and the Gamecocks won their second national title after they defeated the UConn Huskies by 15 points, 64-49, in the 2022 national championship game. Since then, South Carolina has also won the 2024 national title, giving them a total of three NCAA titles.
Read More: “It Never Stopped Me From Imagining”: When Dawn Staley Opened Up on Her Sideline Fashion and North Philly Roots
When Dawn Staley shared that her goal is to help her players build their future
On the same podcast, while speaking about the goals that motivated her, Dawn Staley said her goal had shifted to helping her South Carolina Gamecocks players find out what their future looks like and how to build it, whether it is on the court or off it. The now-55-year-old also detailed why exactly she got into the role in the first place.
“I got into coaching because of the challenge of it, and then once I was in it, it became more of being a dream merchant for young people. I got everything I could, more than I could imagine from basketball playing more. I want that for other young people like I want them to find their niche in life. If it’s basketball, cool. If it’s something else, let’s figure out how we get you to the people that are the experts in this and let’s do it,” Staley explained (41:25).
Staley will enter the upcoming 2025-26 season, looking to avenge her and the Gamecocks’ 2025 national championship loss of 23 points, 82-59, to the UConn Huskies.
Also Read: “People Think We Can’t Be a Billion-Dollar Industry”: When Dawn Staley Shared Her Frustration Over Missed Investment in Women’s Sports
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