Skip to main content
south-carolina logo

South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley elected to international basketball Hall of Fame

by:Kevin Miller•about 9 hours•

kevinbmiller52

South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley hoists National Championship Trophy.
South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley hoists National Championship Trophy. (Katie Dugan, GamecockCentral.com)

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is no stranger to awards and honors. On Thursday, she added a big one to her resume. FIBA (the Federation of International Basketball) announced that Staley had been chosen for induction into the FIBA Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Staley is one of nine inductees and one of three women. She joins former coach Mike Krzyzewski (USA), post player Pau Gasol (Spain), big man Andrew Bogut (Australia), dynamic scorer Fadi El Khatib (Lebanon), center Ratko Radovanovic (Serbia), guard Ticha Penicheiro (Portugal), forward Leonor Borrell (Cuba), and long-time captain and coach Alphonse Bilé (Ivory Coast).

[Win tickets: South Carolina-LSU WBB]

Staley has the unique distinction of being worthy of induction as both a player and a coach.

During her playing days, Staley won three Olympic gold medals in 1996, 2000, and 2004. The star point guard even had the honor of being a flag-bearer in Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games. That same year, the future Gamecock head coach won the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. Combining her Olympic golds with other international championships, Staley brought home 10 gold medals as a player.

As a coach, Staley’s United States National Team earned a gold medal in both the 2018 World Cup and the 2020/2021 Summer Olympics. She also led the team to gold in two FIBA AmeriCups (2019 and 2021), one PanAmerican Games (2007), one U19 World Championship (2015), and one U18 Americas Championship (2014). She also was an assistant coach with the national team for the 2006 World Championships and 2016 Olympic Games. In 2015, USA Basketball selected Staley as the International Coach of the Year.

[Win tickets: South Carolina-Oklahoma WBB]

FIBA Hall of Fame induction is scheduled for May 17th in Bahrain.

For now, though, Coach Staley’s next date on the calendar is Thursday. Her Gamecocks have a date with the Alabama Crimson Tide at 7:00 p.m. in Tuscaloosa. Fans won’t be able to watch the game on traditional television but can stream the contest on SEC Network+.

Discuss South Carolina women’s basketball on The Insiders Forum!

You may also like