Did Dawn Staley play in the WNBA? Revisiting South Carolina coach's playing career with Virginia, Charlotte Sting, Team USA

For 35 years, Dawn Staley has been the embodiment of hooping excellence.

Much of that has been on the sidelines: Staley is one of the greatest coaches ever, a Hall of Fame-level tactician who has won everything there needs to be won in the women's game.

With all those accolades, it's easy to forget how cold Staley was on the floor. There's a reason why she's in Springfield not just as a coach, but as a player, too.

With that, here's what you need to know about Dawn Staley's playing career.

Did Dawn Staley play in the WNBA?

Staley didn't just play in the WNBA, she is a WNBA icon. She played eight seasons in the W, spending most of her career with the now-defunct Charlotte Sting. The ninth overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft, Staley played a vital role in pushing the Sting to their first and only championship game appearance, averaging 9.3 points, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals as Charlotte's starting point guard.

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A five-time All-Star, Staley is viewed as one of the game's greatest ever floor generals, a short but stout presence on and off the court.

The funny thing about Staley's basketball legacy, though, is that it stems from achievements earned outside the professional game.

What college did Dawn Staley go to?

Before Staley was a globetrotting pro, she was a Cavalier. The Philadelphia native had her pick when it came to schools after nabbing national player of the year honors during her last year at Murrell Dobbins Tech.

She decided to take a chance on Debbie Ryan's fledgling Virginia program, hoping to start something special.

It was quite the adjustment.

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"I go to UVA, and it's the first time that, you know, I'm outnumbered as far as, you know, Black vs. white or any other . . . race," Staley told NPR in 2022. "For me, going to Virginia was a huge step outside of my comfort zone."

Staley made Charlottesville her playground, thrice leading the Cavs to the Final Four. They lost just 11 games during her final three years on campus, stringing together the only two 30-win campaigns in team history in the process. She finished her career as the program's all-time leading scorer. Although she was usurped by Monica Wright in UVA's record book, Staley still sits second in points, assists and steals some 31 years after graduating.

"So many of the things that Dawn did were just naturally what Dawn was about," Ryan told Cavalier Daily's Joe von Storch last year. "So her personality became a national symbol of what women's basketball should be about. I think that's the thing that makes me the most proud of Dawn Staley and that the University of Virginia played a small part in her life."

Did Dawn Staley play for Team USA?

Staley's exploits in Charlottesville cemented her status as one of the nation's best players. She expanded that scope globally during the 1996 Olympics, joining hooping luminaries Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo and Sheryl Swoopes on the gold medal-winning U.S. women's basketball team.

"She brought every day to practice this level of competitiveness that didn't waver," Lobo said. "Wanting to win every drill, wanting to win every scrimmage, wanting to win every game. Winning a gold medal was the only option for her."

MORE: Team USA continues run of dominance, wins seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal

She would add two more glistening medallions to her collection, as an assistant in 2016 and head coach in 2021, and also earned the distinction of flagbearer for the 2004 Athens Games.

"It's incredible when you think about it, to be the one that's going to lead our delegation into the ceremonies," Staley said. "I'm honored. It is something you dream about."

Dawn Staley career stats

College

(Source: NCAA.com)

WNBA

(Source: Her Hoop Stats)