“Watch what you say”: 3x national champ Dawn Staley once lost her cool on reporters during postgame conference

Dawn Staley led South Carolina to six NCAA Final Four appearances, winning the national championship three times. Since taking over the Gamecocks in 2008, she has established the program as one of the most consistently successful in the country, transforming them into a powerhouse.

In April 2024, following a Final Four win against NC State, Staley told the media in a postgame press conference that she heard a journalist say negative things about her team.

"Some of the people in the media, when you're gathering in public, you are saying things about our team and you're being heard and it's being brought back to me," Staley said. "These are the people that write nationally for our sport so you can you cannot like our team, you cannot like me.

"But when you say things that you probably should be saying in your home, on the phone or texting, out in public and you're being heard and you are a national writer for our sport, it just confirms what we already know," Staley added. "So, watch what you say when you're in public and you're talking about my team in particular just watch what you say about our team because it's wrong," she continued. [Time Stamp - 1:49]

Dawn Staley's South Carolina went on to defeat Iowa 87-75 in the championship game, winning the NCAA title for the third time. She was named the Naismith Coach of the Year for the fourth time after guiding the Gamecocks to an undefeated 38-0 season.

Dawn Staley talks about meeting a strong mentor like her, USWNT coach Emma Hayes

Dawn Staley met with one of her kind, Emma Hayes, during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia. Staley accompanied Hayes in a suite for the semifinal and final matches in Sydney.

Soccer: U.S. Olympic Soccer Teams Availability - Source: Imagn

Former Chelsea manager Hayes boasts a similar winning track record as Dawn Staley. She won seven FA Women's Super Leagues, five FA Cups and two FA League Cups during her tenure with the Blues. Staley said she learned a lot about soccer from Hayes.

"When she teaches it, it makes sense," Staley told FOX Sports. "If I'm just watching it, some of the stuff doesn't make sense. She gave me some in-game strategy. Like, how you cut the field off and ball movement. So things like that, that I had no idea. I knew they were scheming, but I couldn't see it. Because I probably don't watch enough soccer," she added.

The coaches developed a friendship through the Nike Think Tank, a collaborative group where female coaches and athletes unite to exchange insights and support one another.