Dawn Staley
Dawn Staley
Dawn Michelle Staley is an American basketball hall of fame player and coach. Staley is a three-time Olympian and was elected to carry the United States flag at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics. After playing point guard for the University of Virginia under Debbie Ryan, and winning the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, she went to play professionally in the American Basketball League and the WNBA. In 2011, Staley was voted in by fans as...
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth4 May 1970
CityPhiladelphia, PA
There were too many instances in the game we weren't ourselves. We didn't have enough fight. We had too many lapses to complete.
That's what veterans do. At times like that, we don't get rattled. We know we always have a shot at winning the basketball game. You just have to stay in it. With us, we're an older group. We understand. We've been in big, big games before.
I play basketball because I love it. This was enjoyable, and I'm still motivated to get to the finals.
Candice is a tremendous player and we'll go as far as she'll take us. We'll ride her coattails as far as we can.
I'm treating it as an Olympic experience where for the most part we were going to beat teams, ... I knew I'd be needed somewhere between the quarterfinals and gold medal. With this Houston team, their core is intact. I'm here for plays, certain situations. It's easy for me because I understand it. I don't think any other veteran that has played this long or won as many gold medals, I don't think their ego could stand playing maybe 15, 20 minutes a night. I relish the fact that I get to compete for a championship. I just got to do my part.
I didn't think we played well. Offensively, we rushed. We gave a lot away.
For the people who know Sheryl, the people that she talks to, she has already confided in them. Now she is just being truthful and honest. It is a personal choice, but not a revelation for those of us who know her.
I told Candice our team is searching for a leader. We are searching for someone to listen to, searching for someone to ride her coattail. It had to be her.
We attacked, but we couldn't get anything to fall.
They can play in that type of game. Come Monday, the competition is going to be different. It's going to take a little experience, and a little Olympic savvy to win. We shouldn't have had 27 turnovers against New Zealand. You give Australia 27 extra possessions, it's a different outcome.
Our players needed a wakeup call. They can't know how good they can be until they beat a team of this caliber. We had to drive to the basket and we had to exploit their (Rutgers) inability to stop us.
It took her a year and a half to do it, although it could have been just one semester. It's hard. She's from Philadelphia. You've got different people and things pulling at you, but sometimes it takes people just a little longer to achieve something. She's resilient.
They could have handled the trade differently, opened the lines of communication, especially with the amount of time and professionalism that I've given to that organization and to that city, ... It's a business, but I don't have to like it.