"This isn't play time": When Dawn Staley explained how she failed to stop Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird & Swin Cash from clubbing during Olympics

During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Dawn Staley, a player back then, along with Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Swin Cash, were cruising their way with dominant wins in the women's basketball event.

That warranted some players to enjoy themselves off the field as Staley recalled "G32" being the clubbing spot for three young players: Taurasi, Bird and Cash. The club was on the transatlantic oceanic liner Queen Mary 2, which was hosting the basketball team.

During an interview with NBC Sports in May 2020, Staley said:

“I let them know that this isn’t playtime. This is time we need to buckle down and make sure we’re getting our rest and all of that."

However, Staley seemingly failed to stop them, as she said:

“But I don’t think it stopped them. They were just less conspicuous.”

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Dawn Staley reveals why Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Swin Cash were less bothered during the Olympics

While all three women basketball players ended up having phenomenal careers, especially Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, during the 2004 Summer Olympics, they weren't playing more than 20 minutes per game.

At the time, the likes of Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson were the team's centerpieces. That's why Staley said that she understood why those three young stars seemed less bothered on the biggest stage.

“They knew they wouldn’t play a whole lot, and we didn’t practice a whole lot, so I think they did it [G32] out of boredom,” Staley said. “When young people don’t have places to put their energy, they’re going to put it somewhere. They chose to do it at the club.”

Team USA would go on to win their third straight Olympic gold medal. Dawn Staley played a pivotal role in the gold medal game against Australia. She scored 14 points, some of which came in the fourth quarter rally, where Team USA overcame a deficit to win 74-63.

Staley is now the coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks. She joined the program in the 2008-09 season and has an impressive 465-109 record. She has also led the team to three NCAA championships.