Dawn Staley's college career: Taking a look at South Carolina HC's Virginia stint

Dawn Staley recently made headlines after her apology video went viral. The incident involved a heated exchange between Gamecocks and LSU, which gained a lot of attention.

Dawn Staley was highly appreciated for the classy way in which she handled the matter. This incident prompts us to look back at the South Carolina coach's NCAA career with Virginia to understand how she has carved a path for herself to the top.

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Dawn Staley at high school

Staley played in the WNBA and represented the United States on three Olympic teams, earning a remarkable playing career.

Staley was a student at Murrell-Dobbins Tech in Philadelphia, where she led her team to three consecutive Philadelphia Public League titles. In her final year of competition, she was awarded the USA Today National High School Player of the Year.

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Exploring Dawn Staley's NCAA career

Dawn Staley joined the University of Virginia, where she led her team to three Final Fours, four NCAA Tournaments and one National Championship game. She was recognized with the ACC Female Athlete of the Year and the National Player of the Year awards in 1991 and 1992.

Virginia had a record of 110-21 in four seasons with Dawn Staley. During Staley's junior year, the team achieved a 31-3 regular-season record and finished with an undefeated ACC record (14-0).

In Staley's senior year, the Cavaliers secured the No. 1 spot again in the ACC (15-1) and concluded with a 32-2 regular-season record.

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament: Final Four

Staley concluded her college career with 2,135 points and held the NCAA record for career steals with 454, which has since been broken by current record holder Natalie White. Her number 24 is retired at UVA.

After graduation, Staley played professional basketball in France, Tarbes, Italy, Brazil and Spain before joining the ABL and then the WNBA.

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Dawn Staley's nature of play

Despite being five-foot-six, Staley was one of the best point guards in the history of women's basketball.

She was known for leading her team with a strong presence while also ensuring that her teammates improved. Staley's Philadelphia swagger on the court was unmatched, as she knew when and how to attack her opponents.

She also made a significant impact on Virginia's defense, with 729 career steals, allowing her to anticipate plays before her opponents could react. During her college career, she led Virginia to the NCAA tournament for all four years, making three Final Fours and one National Championship in 1991, where they lost 70-67 in overtime to Tennessee.