Staley, Dawn

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Dawn Staley

1970-

American basketball player

From humble beginnings in a North Philadelphia housing project, Dawn Staley dedicated herself to being one of the best female basketball players. Among her numerous honors, are USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, National Player of the Year, and NCAA Region Most Outstanding Player. Staley was a member of the first women's Dream Team in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, winning gold both times. While playing for the Charlotte Sting, she was hired as coach for the Temple Owls. In 1996, Staley created the Dawn Staley Foundation to offer girls in her old neighborhood of Philadelphia an After School Project that focused on academics and athletics.

Up from the Projects, Onto the Basketball Court

Growing up in a housing project in North Philadelphia, Dawn Staley played basketball at Dobbins Technical High School. In 1988, USA Today named the 5 foot 5 inch young woman national high school player of the year, the only player under 6 feet to win. She also managed to led Dobbins to three consecutive Philadelphia Public League championships.

Staley began her 1989-92 collegiate career when Temple associate head coach Shawn Campbell recruited her to play at the University of Virginia for the Caveliers. As a freshman, she became a starter for the team, averaging 18.5 points per game, and helped the team to a 110-21 record. This propelled the Caveliers to four appearances in the NCAA Tournament, which led to three consecutive Final Four. In her four years as a starter, she personally scored 2,135 points.

Staley earned an astonishing array of awards and honors during her college years, including 10 Player of the

Year awards. Among her titles were ACC Rookie of the Year, then ACC Player of the Year for 1991 and 1992, National Player of the Year, Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four All-Tournament, and Kodak All-American for three consecutive years. In just the 1991-92 season alone, she received the Naismith Trophy for outstanding woman collegiate player, Sport Illustrated Player of the Year, Honda Broderick Cup for outstanding college athlete of the year, and USBWA Player of the Year.

Her basketball record reflects her honorary achievements. She holds the ACC mark for career assists with 729, and captured two ACC regular season and three ACC All-Tournament titles. She holds the NCAA record of 454 steals, which now ranks sixth all-time among NCAA Division I leaders, and was named outstanding player in the 1991 NCAA tournament, even though Virginia lost in the finals to Tennessee.

After college, Staley began her professional career in 1992 playing with a team in Spain, and continued to travel the world playing in France, Italy, and Brazil. After returning to the US in 1994, she competed for the US National Team in the Goodwill Games, earning MVP for averaging 9.3 points per game and a team high 5.8 assists per game. She also played in the 1994 World Championships.

Giving Back to the Community

With a desire to return her good fortune to her community back home in Philadelphia, Staley created the Dawn Staley Foundation. The foundation offers under-privileged girls programs that develop leadership, teamwork, and social skills. The organization also fosters civic pride, mentoring, and self-confidence. Staley's work for the foundation has earned her the 1998 American Red Cross Spectrum Award for her contributions to her community and the 1999 WNBA Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. The year she started the foundation, a seven-story mural of Staley was painted on the side of a building in Philadelphia overlooking her neighborhood.

For US professional teams, Staley began playing in the 1996-97 season with the American Basketball League's Richmond Rage and helped the team to a 1997 runner-up finish. In 1998, she became a member of the USA World Championship Team, which won a gold medal, finishing with a perfect 9-0 record and earning the team USA Basketball Team of the Year.

The following year, Staley switched to the WNBA and joined the Charlotte Sting. That year the team placed second in the WNBA Eastern Conference and went to the finals. Staley ranked third in the league with 190 assists, and set a franchise record 13 assists vs. Washington. Also in 1999, she played in the USA Basketball Women's Winter European Tour Team, which compiled a 4-1 record, and went on to help capture the 1999 US Olympic Cup and USA Basketball International Invitational titles. Her continuing achievements earned her the 1999 WNBA Sportsmanship Award.

Staley at the Olympics

Staley took pride in being a member of women's basketball team in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The US team compiled a perfect 60-0 record to win the gold medal. During the game, she held the USA Olympic single-game record with 9 free throws. Before the games, she participated in the Olympic Torch Relay, running the torch up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Arts.

Repeating her team's Olympic success, now as a member of the first women's Dream Team of professional players representing the US, she helped earn another gold medal in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She hit a perfect 12-of-12 free throws to tie for first for US single-competition free throw percentage.

In addition to the Olympics, Staley played a full season in 2000 at point guard with the WNBA's Charlotte Sting. The team registered an 8-0 record, averaged 4.0 points per game and achieved a team high 3.6 assists per game.

Staley as Coach

Although never having coached a game, Staley agreed to become women's coach at Temple University for the Owls in April 2000. At first denying the offer, she was persuaded by Olympic teammate Teresa Edwards . At that point, Temple had not seen a winning season in more than 10 years. Staley managed to achieve an impressive 10-6 start the first season. Even the fans took notice. Previously averaging 518 fans per game, 1,754 people attended for Staley's regular-season coaching debut.

Career Statistics

Yr	Team	GP	PTS	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF
CHA: Charlotte Sting.
1999	CHA	32	11.5	.415	.317	.934	2.3	5.5	1.19	.09	2.81	2.2
2000	CHA	32	8.8	.372	.330	.878	2.4	5.9	1.16	.03	2.84	2.5
2001	CHA	32	9.3	.381	.371	.895	2.2	5.6	1.63	.03	3.13	1.7
2002	CHA	32	8.7	.364	.398	.762	1.8	5.1	1.5	.00	2.50	2.1
TOTAL		128	9.6	.385	.352	.861	2.2	5.5	1.37	.04	2.82	2.1

Chronology

1970	Born in Philadelphia May 4
1988	Played on Dobbins Technical High School basketball team
1989-92	All-ACC
1990-92	Final Four Tournament
1990-92	Member of ACC All-Tournament Team
1994	Member of gold medal-winning US National Team in the Goodwill Games
1994	Played in World Championships
1996	Began playing with ABL team Richmond Rage
1996	Created Dawn Staley Foundation
1996	Member of US women's basketball team for Atlanta Olympics, won gold
1998	Member of gold-winning USA World Championship Team
1999	WNBA's Charlotte Sting
2000	Member of Olympic team in Sydney
2000	Named women's coach for Temple Owls
2001	Named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team
2001	First woman in US professional basketball to record 1,000 career assists
2002	Named to the USA Basketball World Championship Team
2002	Signed 5-year extension to coach Temple

After Temple won the Philadelphia Big Five Championship and its first-ever Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth, Staley was named 2001-02 Big Five Coach of the Year. In October 2002, she signed a five-year contract extension to coach Temple. The agreement includes the NCAA tournament.

While she coached, Staley still played for the Charlotte Sting, which went to the WNBA Championship finals. There she averaged 9.3 points per game and a league third best 5.6 assists per game. She also played in the 2001 WNBA All-Star Games, racking up 4 points and 3 assists in 15 minutes for the East Team. In 2002, she was named to the USA Basketball World Championship Team.

Dawn Staley earned awards and recognition on the basketball court as well as in her community. She achieved Olympic gold, national championships, and numerous player of the year and MVP awards as a basketball star. The skilled player easily made the transition to coach to teach a new generation of young players. Assisting others to achieve their dreams, she founded the Dawn Staley Foundation, and an after school projects and scholarship programs that help economically underprivileged girls become self-confident young women. The foundation's mission is to create a future of hope for at-risk youth by providing opportunities which help them realize their dreams and become productive and responsible citizens. The creation and support of educational and sports programs which challenge minds, build character, and help youth to develop to their fullest potential academically, socially, and physically is the essence of the foundation. To achieve its mission, the foundation supports a variety of programs in North Philadelphia.

Awards and Accomplishments

1988	Named USA Today National High School Player of the Year
1989	ACC Rookie of the Year
1990-92	Kodak All-American
1990-92	NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player (East and Midwest region)
1991	World University Games gold medal
1991	Named National Player of the Year
1991	Named most outstanding player of the Final Four
1991	Sports Illustrated Player of the Year
1991	Honda Broderick Cup as the outstanding college athlete of the year
1991-92	State Player of the Year
1991-92	ACC Player of the Year
1991-92	ACC Mary Garber Award (Female Athlete of the Year)
1991-92	Naismith Trophy as the nation's outstanding woman collegiate player
1991-92	NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team most outstanding player
1991-92	USBWA Player of the Year
1992	Named National Player of the Year
1992	R. William Jones Cup gold medal
1993	World Championship Qualifying Tournament gold medal
1994	Goodwill Games gold medal and MVP
1994	World Championship bronze medal
1994	Named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year
1996	Olympic gold medal in Atlanta
1998	World Championship gold medal, team named USA Basketball Team of the Year
1998	American Red Cross Spectrum Award
1999	US Olympic Cup gold medal
1999	WNBA Entrepreneurial Spirit Award
1999	WNBA Sportsmanship Award
1999	US Olympic Cup title
1999	USA Basketball International Invitational title
2000	Olympic Games gold medal
2001-02	Big Five Coach of the Year

The Dawn Staley After School Project provides a multi-faceted program designed to empower young women with the necessary education and life skills to become responsible and proactive community leaders through academics, sport activity, and community out-reach. Staley is noted for her work ethic, dedication, and commitment to both basketball and to young people.