“They’re like, ‘It’s less about basketball and more about popularity’”: When Dawn Staley got candid about her year-end meetings with players

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley has been at the helm of the program for nearly 17 years. Her college coaching career began in 2000 with the Temple Owls before she took over at South Carolina in 2008, where she has since won three national championships and eight SEC tournament and regular-season titles.

The success Staley has garnered as a main tactitian means she has worked with some of the best young talent in the nation. While this is a privilege for any college coach, it also presents challenges.

During a September 2022 interview with Jemele Hill on YouTube, Staley shared that as women’s college basketball continues to evolve, players are becoming more focused on their personal brands and marketability.

"I talk to our players, this was probably the hardest year, it was just different because I'm having our end of the year meetings with our players and they're like, 'It's less about basketball and it's more about popularity. I feel like I can do more. I can be more popular. I can, if you allow me to do certain things,'" she said. (6:55)

While she acknowledges this shift in the sport, Dawn Staley admitted she may not be the best fit for every aspiring player.

"I pull out that stat sheet and I'm just like, 'Do it, you're getting an opportunity.' But again, I'm probably not the coach for everybody, I really am not like seriously. I'm not for everybody," she said.

"If you can handle real truth and real conversations and you're not gonna like it but you respect it. They tell me, some of their friends are like, how can you play for her?" (7:33)

Nevertheless, the 54-year-old has established South Carolina as one of the premier destinations for top recruits, producing WNBA stars A'ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston.

Dawn Staley expounds on why she is a disciplinarian first

Later on in the interview, Dawn Later in the interview, Staley further explained why she may not be the ideal coach for every player. The veteran coach admitted that her hard-nosed approach to discipline comes from her mother, Estelle.

"Because, I'm gonna tell them like it is. That's the only way I know. I grew up in a household, youngest of five. I had a disciplined mother, she was a disciplinarian, ... I'm more like that."

"I have fun and all that but, it's a business. If you're trying to grow and learn and do some things as a young adult, these are some life lessons." (8:05)

The 2024-2025 South Carolina Gamecocks are seeking a national championship repeat in March after winning the 2023-24 national title. They currently hold an 11-1 SEC record and a 23-3 overall record.