South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley revealed she was prepared to become the New York Knicks’ head coach had the franchise extended an offer after her formal interview earlier this offseason.
Speaking on the “Post Moves” podcast with WNBA star Aliyah Boston and retired great Candace Parker, the 55-year-old Hall of Famer said accepting the position would have been bigger than her own career. “I would have had to do it,” Staley said. “Not just for me, but for women—to break that door open. It’s the New York Knicks.”
The Knicks ultimately hired Mike Brown in early July, choosing the former Sacramento Kings coach over several candidates, including Staley, ex-Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego, and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.
Staley, who has guided South Carolina to three national championships and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, said she felt well-prepared for her interview but worried she might have dampened her prospects by pressing team executives about the implications of hiring the NBA’s first full-time female head coach.
She recalled asking Knicks officials how the appointment would affect their daily responsibilities, noting that a woman in the role would generate additional media scrutiny. “You’re going to be asked questions you don’t have to answer when you hire a male coach,” she recounted. “I sensed the energy change after that, and I thought, ‘Maybe I shot myself in the foot by being so inquisitive.’”
Although the job went elsewhere, Staley emphasized she was ready to seize the historic opportunity if it had materialized.
Source: ESPN
