Staley Inducted to FIBA Hall of Fame
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in an enshrinement ceremony tonight at the Bahrain National Theater in Bahrain. It joins the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 2013) and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 201) on the legendary player’s resume.
Staley is a three-time Olympic champion and two-time FIBA World Cup winner in her decade of wearing a USA Basketball jersey. She began her international medal hall with bronze in the 1994 FIBA World Cup and was named that year’s Goodwill Games MVP after leading the U.S. to gold in that competition, which helped her win USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year for the first time in her career.
In the next two World Cups, Staley turned bronze to gold for the U.S. in 1998 and 2002, leading the team in assists both times. Around those efforts, she collected Olympic goal in 1996, 2000 and 2004. The last of those Olympic games began with Staley serving as the United States flag bearer in the opening ceremony in Athens. She picked up another USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year award following the Games.
Following her playing career, Staley moved to the sidelines where she helped the U.S. to gold in the 2008 and 2016 Olympics as well as the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2007 FIBA America Championship as an assistant coach for the senior national team. During that time, she also served as a head coach for several junior teams, leading the 2015 U19 World Cup, 2014 U18 Americas Cup and 2007 Pan Am Games teams to gold medals. She was named 2015 USA Basketball Co-National Coach of the Year
In 2017, Staley moved into the head coach position for the U.S. Senior National Team, becoming the first Black coach to hold that title. She led USA Basketball through turbulent times with the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and extending her tenure until the event could be held in Summer 2021. With Staley at the helm, the group collected its seventh-straight Olympic gold medal and picked up gold in the 2019 and 2021 FIBA AmeriCups and the 2018 FIBA World Cup. She picked up her second USAB National Coach of the Year recognition in 2018.
At Saturday’s ceremony, Alphonse Bilé (Côte d’Ivoire), Andrew Bogut (Australia), Leonor Borrell (Cuba), Pau Gasol (Spain), Ticha Penicheiro (Portugal), Ratko Radovanovic (Serbia) and Coach Mike Krzyzewski (USA) were also inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.
