"They're going to run into some financial troubles": When Dawn Staley highlighted major challenges for WNBA after being named Top 15 all-time player

Around 14 years ago, South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley was honored as one of the top 15 players in WNBA history. The year was 2011, and the league was celebrating its 15th anniversary.

In a video interview shared on YouTube from July 2011, Staley and fellow WNBA legend Lisa Leslie acknowledged the significance of the honor and expressed their gratitude for being recognized among the league's greats.

In the interview, Dawn Staley also shared her thoughts on the future of the WNBA when asked where she saw the league 15 years down the line and what kind of challenges it might face.

"I think with with any company nowadays, financially, I think the state of our country, I think they're going to run into some financial troubles, but I think that's been the case probably for 15 years now in, and it survived," she said (Timestamp 3:05).

Staley said the talent in the WNBA would continue to improve.

"From a talent standpoint, the players are a lot better than 15 years ago," Staley said. "I think the fact that they had the WNBA, that carrot dangled in front of them, allowed them to, you know, be more creative and work harder, and become more talented when it comes to the game of basketball.

"So I see, you know, the product will be a great product to put on the floor; it's just we got to get more people to back it." (Timestamp: 3:24)

Looking at the WNBA today, it's fair to say that much of what Staley predicted has come true. Talent-wise, the league is deeper than ever, and financially, it's still a work in progress.

Revisiting South Carolina HC Dawn Staley's WNBA career

South Carolina coach Staley got into the WNBA in 1999 after a professional basketball career overseas. She was 29 years old at the time, and the WNBA was just about three years into its existence.

Dawn Staley was selected as the 9th pick in the 1999 WNBA draft by the Charlotte Sting. She spent eight seasons with the team, playing from 1999 to 2006. She averaged 8.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. She also led the team to the championship game of the WNBA playoffs in 2001.

By 2005, Staley was traded to the Houston Comets, where she spent the final season of her playing career. She finished her career on a high, earning her sixth All-Star selection.