“I thought I did well”: South Carolina HC Dawn Staley drops bombshell details about her interview with top NBA franchise

On Wednesday, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley opened up about how her career almost took an entirely different turn. During her appearance on the “Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston” podcast, Staley confirmed that she interviewed for the New York Knicks coaching job and believed she made a strong case.

Staley acknowledged that while she wouldn’t take just any NBA coaching job, the allure of the opportunity and the chance to make history was too great to ignore. She also challenged the organization with tough questions that may have hurt her candidacy.

“I interviewed for the Knicks, I did,” Staley said. “It was the same interview as everybody else in their candidate pool. Hours long. But in the interview, I thought I did pretty well. I was well prepared for it.

“If the Knicks would have offered me the job. I would have had to do it. Not just for me, it’s for women, for just breaking open that door. And it’s the New York Knicks. I’m from Philly but it’s the freaking New York Knicks.”

Staley said she probably lost the job because of a question she asked. She explained that the Knicks were looking for inclusiveness between management, coaches and players to create a team. In response, she asked whether the organization had ever had what it was seeking in its history. When the answer came back as no, she pointed out that without hiring someone different, it would be impossible to achieve that goal.

After joining in 2008, Staley has turned South Carolina into a powerhouse. After early struggles, she guided the Gamecocks to their first No. 1 ranking and Final Four appearance in 2015 and has since cemented the program as one of the nation’s elite.

Dawn Staley’s South Carolina announces theme for 2025-26 season

Dawn Staley and South Carolina unveiled the program's new guiding principle for the upcoming season. On Monday, the program announced via X that the 2025-26 theme will be “Beyond Measure.”

For over a decade, Staley has chosen a theme to set the tone for her squad. Since the 2012-13 season, each phrase reflected lessons from the previous year while shaping the culture moving forward. This year’s choice seemed to highlight that a player’s worth extended beyond statistics.

“The theme nods to some core values of the program,” the program said in a statement. “A player’s value to a team is not measured just by her stat line but also by the many ways she elevates her teammates. Championships and accolades are not valuable just because trophies in a case but also because they lift up a university, a city, a state.”

Last season’s theme, “Uncommon,” reflected South Carolina’s perfect 38-0 regular season from the year before. The phrase also tied back to Dawn Staley’s book, Uncommon Favor, which inspired the title of her memoir released this past May: Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three.

While South Carolina fell in the 2025 national championship game against UConn, the offseason has brought significant roster changes. Bree Hall, Sania Feagin and Te-Hina Paopao departed for the WNBA, while star guard MiLaysia Fulwiley transferred to SEC rival LSU. Reserve center Sakima Walker moved to Cal, and Ashlyn Watkins is taking a year off with plans to return in 2026-27.

Staley has reloaded her roster with a mix of transfers and fresh talent. The biggest addition was Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s leading scorer last season at Florida State. Joining her are Mississippi State transfer Madina Okot and two highly touted freshmen, Ayla McDowell and Agot Makeer.

The new-look Gamecocks will be expected to tip off the season on Nov. 3 at Colonial Life Arena against Grand Canyon.