"Michael Jordan didn't become Michael Jordan in college": When Dawn Staley finally got a chance to play at her peak in front of family

Like Michael Jordan, Dawn Staley had to work her way up the ranks to reach the peak she wanted to be at when she was a player. She got that chance with the American Basketball League (ABL) and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Staley discussed her basketball journey with a story written from her point of view published in May 2017 by Cosmopolitan, explaining how she became successful as a player and eventually a coach. Women's basketball at the professional level was in its infancy at the time, as the ABL and WNBA started in 1996. The former ceased to exist in 1998.

"It was incredible to live out a dream of playing in the States [and that] our friends and families got a chance to watch us play at our peak. I mean, Michael Jordan didn’t become Michael Jordan in college. He became Michael Jordan in the NBA, honing his skills against the best. This was our shot," Staley said.

"The ABL got the ball rolling more quickly so I signed on with them. They were playing the traditional basketball season, fall through winter. We got done in July with the Olympics and had to report in August," Staley added.

Staley initially played in the ABL but switched to the WNBA two years later as she focused on her long-term health.

"I played two years with the ABL and then my body just couldn’t take the long season. I’ve had bad knees over my career, so I left to go to the WNBA because of the lesser schedule [May through August]," she explained.

Staley cleared the air about her thoughts on Caitlin Clark

A current sensation developing in the WNBA is Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who burst onto the national stage in college with spectacular performances with the Iowa Hawkeyes that garnered praise from Staley.

Staley made her thoughts known about Clark in March 2023, dispelling the notion that she does not like the then-Iowa star during her interview with basketball reporter Taylor Rooks on Bleacher Report.

"I like having these conversations because they need to be had. They really need to be had, because it's not hate. It's like, people think I hate on Caitlin," Staley said.

"I don't like Caitlin is probably going to win the Dawn Staley Award for the third year in a row not because I'm favoring her, it's because she can flat out play. Quite simple, quite simple," Staley declared. (11:34)

Staley is in her 17th year as South Carolina's coach, leading the Gamecocks to get off to a 9-1 start. They are on a four-game winning streak, and they'll look to make it five straight when they host South Florida at the Colonial Life Arena on Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. ET.