"When I couldn't get it done in college, I thought that was it": How Dawn Staley once converted failures into lessons aiding her first NCAA title win

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley led her No. 1-seeded Gamecocks to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament with a 54-50 win over the No. 2-seeded Duke Blue Devils on Sunday evening. The Gamecocks will play the No. 1-seeded Texas Longhorns, whom they beat a few weeks ago in the SEC Tournament championship game, on Saturday.

After her first championship win, the popular Staley revealed her relief at finally winning a natty after failing to win one as a player for the Virginia Cavaliers between 1988 and 1992. She narrowly missed out on her dream when the Cavaliers were beaten by the Stanford Cardinal during the national championship game in 1992.

"I was exhausted, because I wanted it so much," Staley said. "I put so much work and energy into being a national champion that the emotion was just to cry. To let it out. And 25 years later, no tears. Just going to enjoy it. When I couldn't get it done in college. I thought that was it."

The importance of Dawn Staley's first national championship

When Dawn Staley arrived in South Carolina in 2008 to take the Gamecocks' job, they were not an elite team. She then had two losing seasons before going 25-10 during the 2011-2012 season, when she led them to the Sweet 16 after streamlining the team's methods and recruitment.

Although it took her six more years to win the national championship, the Gamecocks have stayed among the elite after her first win.

After losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Staley revealed during a segment of "The Pivot" podcast how important that first natty was to her (Timestamp: 0:50).

"For all of my life, I just wanted to win a national championship," Dawn Staley said. "I didn't get that accomplished at Virginia. I never thought I would be able to be put in position to win a national championship because I didn't see myself as a coach. Well, lo and behold, coaching found me.

"The first one (national title) allowed me to just enjoy it. Like, I selfishly enjoyed it because it's something that I always wanted to do."

In 16 seasons in charge of the Gamecocks, Staley has made them a juggernaut, leading them to nine Southeastern Conference regular-season and nine tournament championships. She has also led them to eight Sweet 16s, six Final Fours and three national championships.

Last year, Dawn Staley's Gamecocks went unbeaten on their way to the national championship. Despite losing several stalwarts like Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA and Ashlyn Watkins to a season-ending injury, the Gamecocks have marched on and are two wins away from repeating as national champions.