Dawn Staley has an idea for her future in the sport of basketball, speaking on moving to the WNBA -Credit:Getty
(Getty)
Dawn Staley has already stated that she has no intention of leaving South Carolina for a WNBA head coaching position, but she has kept the door open to a move to the league in the coming years.
One of the greatest head coaches in women’s basketball, Staley has won three National Championships and four Coach of the Year awards since joining South Carolina in 2008. Over the past few years, she has been linked to moves to the WNBA and, at times, the NBA, but has never entertained any offers or interest.
The 55-year-old shows no signs of stepping away from coaching in college basketball, winning titles in 2022 and 2024, but has suggested she could leave in five years if one opportunity comes her way.
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On a podcast with Kylie Kelce, the wife of Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Kelce, Staley spoke on links to the WNBA.
When asked whether she would become a head coach, she replied: “No. You know why? I would rather be an owner.
“I think there’s much more in it to ownership. I know a lot of people think that coaching is my best attribute.
“And I do think I’m a pretty good coach. But when I’m an owner, I can probably touch more people.”
The 2025-26 season marks Dawn Staley’s 18th as South Carolina’s head coach -Credit:Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Interestingly, Kylie herself was interested in becoming an owner of a team, with Philadelphia set to have its own WNBA franchise in 2030 — Staley’s hometown.
Kylie responded to her: “Let’s do it. I’ll invest.”
The Philadelphia team joining the WNBA could be the perfect time for Staley to take on an ownership role and lead her hometown team.
She will be 60 years old when the team enters the league, having been a college basketball head coach for 30 years, should she continue through 2030.
As well as receiving interest in becoming a WNBA head coach, she has also been linked to the New York Knicks.
In her book, she spoke of interest from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021, while suggesting she wanted to land the role.
She wrote: “I appreciated the consideration, but, in the end, it reminded me why coaching young women remains the ideal scenario for me.”