"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 head 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 her 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. She said:

"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." (Timestamp 3:05)

Staley said the talent in the WNBA would continue to improve. According to her, it had steadily improved in the league's first 15 years because the dream of playing in the WNBA has been really motivating to many young female athletes to get better. However, Staley believes that this growth in talent will need to be matched by financial support.

"From a talent standpoint, uh, 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 um, 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 Dawn 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 Dawn 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 overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft by the Charlotte Sting. She spent eight seasons with the team, playing from 1999 to 2006. During her time with the team, 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 during that last season with the Comets.