CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In some ways it was a welcome home for South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley on Saturday.
The Gamecocks defeated NC State 71-59 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte as part of the 2024 Ally Tipoff, the same city where Staley spent five seasons playing in the WNBA for the Charlotte Sting. Staley was drafted in the first round, ninth overall in the 1999 WNBA draft by the Sting out of Virginia.
“We are very fortune no matter where we go, our fans are coming,” Staley said. “The fact that we are just right up the street, the fact that I spent many summers here, really enjoyed this city, they’ve embraced me, I’ve embraced them, to see my career come full circle, to be so close to Charlotte again, never would I have imagined I’d be here in this capacity, coaching, it being my 25th year coaching, it’s a great venue, great opportunity for women’s basketball.”
She played in the old Charlotte Coliseum, about six miles from where South Carolina (2-0) played Saturday. She was asked if she could see Charlotte as a Final Four location in the near future.
“Yeah, if Ally (tipoff) can host it, it will be incredible, I think this is a sample of what this city can do … I’ve been part of the WNBA franchise being here, people came to watch us play, I still have a relationship with all the ball girls, ball boys … it’s incredible to see, I think this is a prime spot for a WNBA team, for a Final Four … you see the city just embrace the game, and I can’t wait to see what the next game looks like.”
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Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
