Dawn Staley, the HC of South Carolina’s women’s basketball team, is majorly popular for two things — her habit of being first and her excellent coaching techniques. I hope you didn’t forget USC’s highest-scoring bench, which made them unpredictable. However, as USC lost to UConn in the Final Four last year, the HC was expected to rewind. But her focus is on something bigger!

As the recruitment for the post of HC for the New York Knicks was open, she had her eyes on it from the beginning. As she herself admitted during the August 27 episode of Post Moves, “If the Knicks would have offered me the job, I would have had to do it. Not just for me, it’s for women, just to break open that [barrier].” But while she was offered the interview, it didn’t go as expected.

But Staley wasn’t going to stop. Despite losing the job to Mike Brown, she decided to open up — and she did. Speaking at SEC Media Day on October 14, she sent a clear message: “And if there are NBA franchises interested in hiring a female, I’m here too, because you’ve got to be ready to take on that and all the things that it comes with.”

The first Black coach, male or female, to win three Division I basketball titles has an impressive résumé. She led USC to a perfect 38-0 record, making them only the 10th team in history to achieve an undefeated season just two years ago. She’s also the fifth coach to win at least three titles. So, Staley’s got trophies, experience, and the skills that make her an ideal candidate for an NBA head coaching position.

But of course, it isn’t that easy — especially since hiring a female coach isn’t normalized in the NBA yet. The men’s pro league still prefers hiring male coaches to guide the locker room. And who knows it better than Staley, who interviewed for the Trail Blazers coaching position in 2021?

Though she ain’t the only one. The former assistant coach with the Spurs, who even coached the team for a game, Becky Hammon, knows the feeling too. Before taking up the position of Las Vegas Aces HC, she had interviewed for several NBA head coaching jobs. Staley, though, seems well-prepared to take on all challenges.

And that’s exactly why she said she’s up for it. However, she’s aware of the reality. As she said, “Not really a whole lot,” when asked about whether she saw herself as a female coach leading men’s basketball teams. She went on to explain that she did the Knicks interview because she’s known the president and vice president for years.

“I did the Knicks interview because I’ve known Leon Rose for 30 years. I have a connection to him and Worldwide Wes. I’ve known them all my life. It was a real interview, and I like to see what they’re talking about,” she added.

But while Staley was appreciative of the Knicks organization, as per The Athletic’s James L. Edwards’ sources, the USC head coach “was not considered a finalist to fill the vacancy left when the team fired head coach Tom Thibodeau following the franchise’s first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.” Well, the first female NBA coach would’ve been a better fit, considering her experiences.

And why not, when coaches usually crash and burn in Midtown — even those with little to no NBA head coaching experience. But for females, it ain’t an option. That’s exactly why the San Antonio Spurs, who seemed like a natural fit to make history with Becky Hammon as interim head coach, hired Mitch Johnson instead. But Staley saw it all coming before.

After a known miss, Staley’s back at hitting the bull’s-eye!

When Staley went for the interview with the Knicks, she got a list of questions in hand. She asked Leon Rose and co. about the repercussions of hiring the first female head coach, and having a set of questions for them about that specific issue may have cost her the job. And not just that — even at the SEC Media Day, she said, “It’s not just hiring the first female coach.” 

She added, “Because one, if I’m the Knicks coach and you have a five-game losing streak, it’s not going to be about the losing streak. It’s going to be about being a female coach. So, you as an organization and a franchise, you have to be prepared about that and strong enough to endure those types of instances when you’re a female coach.”

Though she lost the opportunity, she hadn’t lost her focus.

The three-time national champion turned her attention back to her 18th season at USC. After losing to UConn, she’s expected to make a comeback — and it looks like she’s on the right track too, as the Gamecocks are ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press preseason poll behind defending champion UConn.

And while major faces, Chloe Kitts, and Juju Watkins, are going to miss the season due to an ACL tear, USC still remains a favorite to win the title.