Best of the best: South Carolina’s Dawn Staley named Naismith Coach of the Year
It’s official: Dawn Staley is the 2024 Naismith Coach of the Year.
Staley was presented the award Wednesday in a ceremony at the Cleveland Browns Stadium. She guided South Carolina to another undefeated record going into the Final Four, despite having lost all five starters from the 2022-23 season to graduation and the WNBA Draft.
Kamilla Cardoso was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award, which was given Wednesday to Cameron Brink of Stanford.
Staley is now a four-time winner of the Naismith Coach of the Year, having first secured the honor in 2020 and each of the last three years, making her the first ever three-peat winner. Since the award was first given out in 1987, only two coaches have won it more than Staley: UConn’s Geno Auriemma (eight) and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt (five).
When Staley accepted her award, she thanked God, her coaching staff, her players and the other honorees for all the work they’ve poured into the sport. While her mind is focused more on wining Friday and advancing to the national championship game, Wednesday provided Staley an opportunity to reflect on a special season with a special team.
“We’ve exceeded any expectations,” Staley said after the ceremony. “Internally, externally. I mean, to be undefeated, to win awards like this, so unexpected. So, so very unexpected. But I welcome it. There are plenty of times where I think we should have won a national championship, but we didn’t. This is somewhat of a repayment, when you get stuff that you really don’t expect to get. So, happy about it, but again, Friday. Advancing, and trying to get another national championship.”
USC won both the SEC Tournament and regular-season titles for the sixth time in the last 10 seasons. The Gamecocks have the best field goal percentage defense (32.1%), scoring margin (29.6 points per game) and winning percentage (100%) in the nation.
Staley’s Naismith honor is not her first of the year. She was also named the nation’s top coach by The Athletic, ESPN, The Sporting News and USBWA. The SEC’s coaches also selected her as the league’s best for the seventh time. She is now one win behind Summitt for the most in conference history.
Cardoso is third in the SEC (behind fellow Gamecocks Ashlyn Watkins and MiLaysia Fulwiley) and 10th in the nation in defensive rating (72.6). She also ranks 14th in the country in blocks per game (2.48). Cardoso won SEC Defensive Player of the Year and, earlier Wednesday, WBCA Defensive Player of the Year.
No. 1 South Carolina (36-0) will face No. 3 N.C. State in the Final Four at 7 p.m. Friday.
This story was originally published April 3, 2024 at 3:48 PM.
