When Dawn Staley shared how A’ja Wilson & Aliyah Boston’s success would be part of her legacy: “I’m a self-prescribed dream merchant”

The South Carolina Gamecocks' Dawn Staley boasts a coaching resume that stacks up with her legendary WNBA career. Since taking the helm in 2008, Staley has led the Gamecocks to eight SEC championships and three national titles, with the most recent one being defended this year.

Given all that Staley has achieved in her coaching career, it's natural to wonder how she envisions her legacy beyond the accolades. In an episode of "The ETCs" back in November of last year, host Eddie Gonzalez asked Staley to reflect on how her legacy is shaped by her alumnae, such as A'ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston, becoming standout players in the WNBA.

"I'm a self-prescribed dream merchant. When you're able to see your players' dreams come true, it does the heart good. When we go on to people's living rooms and we tell them they'll graduate, the other part of it is their dream of playing in the WNBA. It's on them and the work that they put in," she shared. (1:50)

She then went on to talk about how she expected Wilson to become a multi-time league MVP as well as Boston being named the 2023 Rookie of the Year. To her, these achievements were testaments to the player development in South Carolina's program, as she said:

"Our players are prepped to play at this league (WNBA) at the highest level and to excel. I won't be surprised if Aliyah Boston is, one day, the MVP of the league." (3:00)

Staley's impressive roster alumnae extends beyond Wilson and Boston, as she also mentored professional players like Tiffany Mitchell, Allisha Gray and Laeticia Amihere. The evidence suggests that the culture Staley fosters at South Carolina consistently produces WNBA talent.

Currently, more Gamecocks may be on their way to the league, with standouts like Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley leading the charge. Under Staley's guidance, these players have contributed to a strong 10-1 start to the 2024-2025 season, with conference play just around the corner.

Dawn Staley says NIL deals makes it harder to recruit nowadays

Nowadays, NIL deals are becoming the talk of the town in college basketball. Despite the rules and regulations set by the NCAA, these agreements allow college players to develop their personal brand before they go professional.

Staley fully embraces this opportunity to ensure the successful careers of her players. However, she does admit that NIL deals add another factor to consider when recruiting talent to her team.

"It makes it harder. Obviously, if us, coaches, can go out there and actually go get the money. But, the NCAA has completely stopped us from doing that...As coaches, we have access to so many sponsors. We got relationships with companies and we utilize that to make it more appealing," Staley expressed (4:30).

Fortunately for Staley, South Carolina is one of the top destinations for highly-touted recruits, thanks to the Gamecocks' storied history and unparalleled recent success.