Dawn Staley | Ep 119 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

a basketball? I'm thinking sports? So yeah, man, welcome to the man. That's crazy. That's not a sports Serena. Serena tops that big time. No, I'm talking about as far as coaching coaching. Coaching yea, the highest paid women coach period though, right No, no, I think uh gino yukon okay? Are were you up there? You make good money man, Congratulations first and foremost on that deal. Obviously, your your

your track record speaks for itself. But I love to see that you're rewarded because it's given women now another visual. You know you you did it in the sports, now you're succeeding in coaching too. So we definitely want to congratulate you on your big deal and all this success. Thank you appreciate that, and uh, thank you all for having me starting episode off, I watch y'all. I mean, I listen to y'all. I appreciate you guys giving raw thoughts and and letting us in the inside of your

your thoughts and your vision. And that's that's pretty darn cool. So if you watched, So, if you watched, you know, you're my favorite female player of all time. Yeah, yeah, I say that, I said all the time. I appreciate that. That's what's up. So again, seven year deal? Has you through the twenty seven season? UM? Looking back on your journey starting as a child player, UM, now a coach and and what do you make of all this? UM?

I mean, I don't know. I mean I love basketball like I you know, it was I never cheated on it, like it was the one thing that I I was loyal to. UM. I didn't care what anybody else was doing. I was singularly focused on sports. And it wasn't just basketball because I played I played football tackle like on the CEMENTUM, I played baseball, softball. I mean we I used to live in the projects. Yeah. We I used to live in the projects and they were like row

homes around this big field. And this big field had it had a basketball court, that had a softball field, that had a baseball field, and then it had just space. And when you have just space, you know you're resourceful. You you create like we could get we could get a five gallon can of paint and we used to draw, not straight. We used to paint lines to create like a track. So we had like the Olympics out there

in the middle of the project. So, I mean, I was doing what all the neighborhood guys were doing, and it's certainly it's paid off. So cool feeling. Were you the only girl back then battling with all the boys, the girl that you not only do you get ridiculed from the guys, but their girlfriends thought I was. I had an alternative motives like I'm just right really, like do you do you understand? Like I'm playing with like they're dirty and sweaty at this point, they don't look good.

That's how the season going so far in South Carolina this year, we're doing pretty good. We actually, um, you know, we we we were the number one team in the country for a while. We took l last Thursday in Missouri. Um, but something just happened today where the new Pole came out in and they actually they continue making us the number one team in the country. I haven't called that before, but we played a tough sketch, but like we played probably six out of the ten top teams in the country.

So I mean, it's good to see the you know, the decision makers and women's basketball, especially the Pole treat us and respect us in that in that man, because it's not often felt in that regards. Well, yeah, I think you kind of earned that respect last season. You took the team to the final four, you lost, you lose the Stanford. Um, what are you building on the different this year than last year? I know you're still trying to get healthy. My favorite Raven, Raven is still

dealing with an injury. You know what I'm saying, my girl, UM, the first ever playing the all boys High School All American Game. You know what I'm saying, shout out the Raven. But what are you gonna change this year? What are you working on this year to be better from last year? Well, UM, appreciate you shouting out raving because it came at a time and what she she was down, Um, the injury just happened, and you send the video while appreciate that stax.

But but we we lost in the final four the Stanford. We we had two opportunities to to to win the game. So one one player had to lay up, she missed it. We had another players follow it up and try to how to live in and and it's that margin of error that we're working. We're working with like that inches and when we when we practice, we practice from that

margin of era. When we play, we keep that margin of error in mind because we don't want that heartbreak of of if we're that close to competing for a national championship, we want to make sure that we we cover. We're checking off all boxes when it comes to just making sure that it doesn't come down to that. But if it does, it's familiar to us. All Right, let's

talk about how important women's basketball. I'm on it to this month to be hosting the first ever High School and the Women's Basketball Showcase hosted by n I'm the first to do it, and I'm hosting one um this in January. In a couple of weeks. Tell me, tell me how important female basketball is it to you. We had a great relationship with Kobe and he spoke on how important it was to him and it's and it's

just as important to us. But to you for somebody who's being uh somebody who started it, uh founder and and somebody who a lot of people look up to it in the in the basketball space now being one of the highest paid coaches, How are poison important is it to you? And to see how it's growing? Well, I mean I've I've always like I'm old school, I've been around the block. You know, I've played on every level. Um and I and I. As you were saying that this was the first and you're a part of it,

I go back. I was. I was in a and I'm not I'm not trying to pump up myself, but I was in there. I was in a Spike lead commercial with Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoops and they interviewed us about that particular commercial. And in that commercial I said, basketball's basketball, Like, it doesn't matter what gender, Basketball's basketball. Like you you all played at the highest level. I played at the highest level. There your thrill was as much as my thrill. You know, your your defeat was

hit me as hard as my defeat. Um, you put in the work just like I'll put in the work, and it's it's gingerlest if. If you pour into something, something good is gonna come out of it. So the fact that you're you're stamping your name on it is gonna give it some validity. Um, the fact that you're the first and hopefully want me the last, it's gonna open up some doors for some some other, Um guys to the pour into two girls basketball because at the

end of the day, it's basketball is just basketball. Let's talk about your upbringing. Your mom started in South Carolina, moved you guys to Philly. Um, what was it like growing up in Philly? One of five children? You said, I mean outside obviously playing outside with the kids and stuff. But what was it? What was your family dynamic? Like? Um, this this, I got to give you the back story

to my my mom. Just my mom was born and my my mom and dad were born in South Carolina And the reason why my mom had to travel to Philadelphia was because, um, my grandmother, her mother sent her to a like a butchery to get some some meat, and Um, the butcher went to the back and brought my mother back some meat from the back. And my mom looked at the meat and was like, no, we you know, we don't we don't want that to meet. We want to meet. That's that's here, you know that

I see. And and the butcher was like, no, you're gonna if you want this meet, you're gonna take this meat. And my mom is a sassy she was a sassy lady. Um, she wasn't gonna take you know, what looked like spoiled rocking meat back to back to the house. And and that butcher told her to get out of his store and to never come back. And when you live in the South, when they say those words, it doesn't mean don't ever come back to the store. It means you better get out of town. That was that was back

in the day. So my grandmother heard about the interaction and sent my mother to Philadelphia. And this was a time in which I wasn't born, So my mother was in Philly for a long time and then you know, she had five kids and and she built her life around being in Philadelphia. And I think it was probably the best move for for for us as children because Philadelphia was a lot more progressive than it was here

in the South back in that day. And you know, I'm I'm allowed to you know, I was allowed to play a sport to you know, being the city in which um there's so many, so many resources and outlets to play. And and I grew up in the household that that was that was disciplined, right, like I was afraid of Mama. I was afraid of my mother, like she thought. At times when I was out in the big field playing at all times of the day and night, she would she would sneak up on me and just

to make sure that I was where I was. And then when she saw that I was persistently going out there, she was she was good with it. So Philadelphia, North Philly projects, um Raymond Rosen Gathers grew up the same, the same projects obviously developed, you know, the love of the game and the and the passion playing outside. But when did it kind of narrowed to just basketball? How old were you been when you just knew, okay, I

could really do this. You know, when I when I was in eighth grade, I I received the letter from Dartmouth. Like Dartmouth the IVY League and UM, and you know, now that I'm in the coaching I know that letter was just a camp invitation, but to me it was interest. To me, it was like, you know what, it's a ray of hope of possibly going to play in college. And that's when I knew that I probably need to leave these other sports a loan and let let me

concentrate really on basketball. And basketball was a you know, it was a sport I could play year round, outdoors, indoors, and from from that letter on, my concentration was fully on just playing basketball. What was it like for you and your family when Nike did the mural ahead of the ninety Olympics. UM, for those who don't know, a hundred role born in Philly, grew up on the corner of diamond, How what did that mean to you specifically? And then also how did your family feel about it? Well?

I mean, Nike, Nike is you know, forward thinking. Um, I you know I played, I played with household names Lisa Leslie, Cheryl Swoops, you know twa, which I mean they are well known. I was just the point guard and probably just took a more um service role, just service. I just want to win and that matter how it looks. I just want to win. Um. But after having several conversations with Nike and the and the powers that be about sneakers because I knew sneakers, Um, I think they

took a liking to me. I mean, I was just real, just I was just talking to them, you know, I don't I didn't know if that was hurting their feelings or whatever, because sometimes when people want real conversations, they really don't want you to say what's on your mind. Mind,

but you're asking, so I gave it to him. And then they, you know, they told me about the eight story mural that we're gonna do in my hometown when when the USA national team was gonna play an exhibition game there, and then I, you know, I told my you know, I told my family that it was gonna take place. And you know, when you grow up in the projects, you know, you're you're not really fully understanding

what that is. Like I really did it. So when we when we got into Philly, the national team and and they the ceremony was gonna be the next day, I did. I actually had somebody to drive me by there just so just so I can check it out and see and then I was I was floored because I mean, it is in downtown Philly, um eight stories, like it's it's larger than life. I had to tell my mom to meet me down there the next day.

My mom is still and my mom was a Southern woman, you know, she did not drive, didn't have a driver's license, so she took public transportation everywhere. But if you ever, if you ever was in a car with her, you were driving, she could tell you exactly what small everything, everything everything. So so when she got down there, we were already there. So I saw her walk up, you know,

and it's it's a proud moment like it. It brought her to tears um to see her, a baby girl up on the eighth story building building that she she's on the bus and she rides by, you know, you know every week. So it was you know, it was just it was just incredible because again I wasn't the one of the ones that I didn't have a shoe at first. Sure I was the first one. I gotta shoe, Lisa gotta shoe, so you know, you're and I there

was no jealousy or anything like that. I actually don't like the spotlight, But I did like the spotlight went in my hometown because it just gives so much more to all those people in in the projects aspiration. With that said, it was said that your mom didn't really know how nice you were on the court. When did your mom and your family really start kind of understanding

your special talent? You know, you know how family members aren't They don't really really want to give you guys just to do because they want to keep you humble. You can't do it until you do it to do right, right. So I mean, I don't you know, I don't think my mom really knew, um, how good I was until probably probably when I when when I started getting like like hundreds of letters from colleges, um, and they were

coming to the projects right in the mailbox. And I think that's when she knew, um, she had a pretty talented daughter. Um. And you know, my brothers, like my brothers and sisters, you know, we we didn't we didn't have like college aspirations because we knew we couldn't afford it. So nobody was really thinking about that. So you know, in the in the neighborhood, yeah, they knew I was pretty good because I was playing, you know, I was I was being one of the first that the playing

the pick up games. So they knew I was pretty good according to the you know, the the neighborhood. But as far as nationally, you know, my you know, my skill set wasn't tested. Um, and and they couldn't see just how good I was until I started to play in you know, in college and got on the AUTH circuit. And even then they didn't even come see me playing AU circuit because it was it was out of town. So, um, college is probably went, you know, I was. I was

actually deemed pretty good then. So once college becomes a goal and and op and when did you know, obviously there's no w n B A when you're in college, Um, making that jump overseas as a possibility, but you know that was something that's always you know, questionable for certain people. When did life professionally as basketball, When did that kind

of start coming into your mind? And what were your playing Seeing that you had a lot of success in college as well, I mean I wanted to play basketball for as long as possible, Like I in nineteen nine, I graduated in ninety two. I tried out for the Olympics, the ninety two Olympic Games, and went to the trials

and got cut. Now you gotta you gotta understand. Like in nineteen ninety two, I was college college Basketball's player of the year, like two times player of the year, and I went to the Olympic trials and um, and that was the year if you remember, that's when the pros were allowed to come into the Olympics. So in the original Dream team in ninety two. So I think that the women's program wanted the mirror the Dream Team and and getting all professional players. So that that left

me off because I didn't have any international experience. Um, so I got cut. And the reason why I got cut because were you on the When you're trying off on a limit team, they do actually tell you. They give you some feedback as to why you didn't make the team. So the two things that I remember them telling me was one I was too short, and two I didn't have enough international experience. The mind you you know, one other play on that that made the team was

shorter than me. I don't know how they came up with I was too short, But I say this, if I didn't have that, you know that disappointment at that time, I really wouldn't be able to appreciate being a three time Olympia, three time gold medalists. So sometimes you know, like those a curveball, you just have to deal with it in and not let it get you down. It should just actually feel you to want to get better.

I mean, I only I only wanted to do two things when I was growing up in the projects because because these are the two things that I saw women play, and that was in the National Championship game in college and the Olympics. Those two things I just wanted. I had a goal and then probably the the overarching goal when I realized that this was achievable, was I wanted to be a Hall of Famer. M those are like

the three selfish things that I wanted. Other than that, I didn't really set goals and I and I still to this day, I really don't set goals. I just kind of let let let my path be as divinely ordered as it is. I like that. Since you were speaking on the Olympic team three time gold medalists, tell us what it was like on those teams kind of

gaining getting the respect. Do you feel like you guys feel like you got the respect you deserved because of again, women's basketball has been fighting for footing, you know, since it's the it's inauguration. But you guys had an exceptional team, a bunch of Hall of famers, three time gold medalists, You guys feel like you guys got the respect that you was. It always a constant like we gotta go

get it every time we go out there. So I mean back in, back in, Like my first Olympic Games is ninety six, and because we were hosting it in Atlanta, Um, we we trained for for fifteen months prior to the Olympic Games. You know when when whenever a country hosts the Olympic Games, they invest they invest money in the teams and sports because they want to do well. So they invested in our team. They they gave us fifty dollars for that year and that was that was pretty

That was pretty good for me. For some of the other players like Teresa Edwards and Continea McClain who was who was making six figures over there every year, it

was a huge pay cut. But that they're from Georgia, so they wanted to play in the Olympic Games and um, yeah, playing with playing with that particular team, I think that team was the team that kind of spearheaded women's basketball and put put put us at a place both collegiately and professionally, just giving us or we were the guinea pigs of of professional professional league because after that, after we were done with that that Olympic games, two professional

leagues were birth the w n B A and the A b L, And I believe nine out of the twelve players on the Olympic team played in the A b L and three of the other players played. Actually the three players were Lisa Leslie Strow Swoops and Rebecca Lobo. They opted to go play in the w n B A. So it was cool, like the more the merrier I give, the more professional women's leagues that start up, the more job opportunities that would be for women. And I was all for it. Uv A University of Virginia. Um, you

left there. You was three time All American finished this Virginia's all times leading score and all time leading assists, but both of those have been broken since since then. Um, how did it feel going to uv A And was it any other options beside v A? Yeah? I mean I was recruited. I was, I was actually the number one UM high school player in the country. I mean I don't even I don't know how you do that, but they chose me. I never actually I went on maybe one a you UM circuit like one. I actually

put participate in the very first one UM. So I was, I was the high school player of the year. So I mean every every school came after me, like like hundreds of them. UM. I chose those two. I chose to go to Virginia for for two reasons. And one of them, obviously, I didn't want to go to a school that had already won a national championship because I

wanted to be a part of that legacy. And then the other thing was I mean, it's the strangest thing that that attracts us, But I didn't want to go to a school that had like traditional dorms, like you know, like you go, you got a roommate and then you gotta take your bucket down the hall and go shower and that like like that was I mean, I lived in the project, so I wanted I wanted college to be a step up. I mean I had to share a room with my sister and that's as far as

I wanted to go share room with someone. And then Virginia had these dorms where there were four rooms. You share the room with the roommate, and then you had you had two showers and he had two two stalls, and then you had like a common area, so it was almost like an apartment. And then the other schools that I the other school that I was very serious about was Penn State and they had the old the old old school dorms and not I really couldn't do it.

So the non negotiable was the dorms. So I went to I went to rig That's a crazy I've heard a lot of reasons why people chick schools. I've never heard something like that. But that was good. I feel you because I was. I was at U c l A. Wed. They had to set up nice there and I couldn't imagine like some schools they had like but in the summer school one time I had the situation where you had a roommate and you had to walk down the hall of the shop like, hey, I left summer school.

I couldn't do it. You end up winning a national championship in two thousands, seventeen with South Carolina. Do you feel like that made up for you're not winning one while you was playing, for being so good and I bringing one back to the UV A. Yeah, it actually did because it took it took almost twenty seven years and win one, and I had to get into coaching to do that. But it was it was so special.

It was so special that UM, when we won, I made sure that that every like former player of mine because I coached that Temple and I'm coaching that South Carolina. When we won, every every player prior to seventeen, I got them a miniature, a miniature national championship trophy. UM. I got all of my Virginia teammates miniature national championship trophies, all of all of the people that coach with me at Temple in South Carolina. I got the miniature national

championship trophies. Because this this was a dream far beyond seen UM and I had. I had teammates and I had former players that believed in that dream that we we didn't get it done, so I wanted I didn't want them to miss out on the opportunity of feeling that and then on the back of it, I put their name, and I just said, because of you simply. That's really you don't hear stuff like that too often. That's what's up. I knew she was a real one. I told you that. I knew that. So tell me this.

What was the feeling when you went back for your Jersey retirement? Mm hmmm, Um, I don't even remember that. I really don't remember that, like, like I mean, really honestly, I know that that stuff. I mean there it's nice, but I mean it's nice, but I mean I wanted Hall of Fame. Asked me about Hall of Fame, Like,

asked me about Hall of like that is. And I'm not trying to take any I mean, I'm grateful, grateful, but there are just things that are like near and dear, like you're I'm in a Hall of Fame with the greatest of the great. Yeah, that's one of the best. Yeah, we'll talk about it. What's it like? What's it like being in the Hall of Fame's I mean, it's it's cool.

Like I I don't always go back to the ceremonies, but when I do go, like I feel proud, like I feel like I belong And and I started I started an autograph collection, so I can I can get all the great autographs when I go there. So it's it's pretty cool, like like I mean, I got it. I got a pretty extensive collection of of Hall of Favors. It's kind of hard for some people to even think about that because, like when people ask us about Kobe,

like when high school, his mind was different. Like me, I'm just trying to get to the NBA and figured out and make some money, take out of my family and buy me a whip and some change. You know, That's what I'm thinking at the time, you know what I'm saying. But Kobe, as a teenager, we knew what he was thinking, I'm going to be one of the best ever. So it's very few people can understand your

understand your train of thought, you know what. So as you was growing up playing basketball and your mind frame, you wasn't thinking just making to the w n b A. You just think I'm going to be one of the best ever. That's it. You know. I got a Kobe story. I mean, I Kobe was was that Lord Maryan When I was in Philly training for for the Olympic team, and he used to come to the he used to come practice with the Sixers like John Lucas was to coach. John Lucas used to work me out like I gotta

I gotta cool John Lucas story. I I've had knee trouble my whole career. Um, during that fifteen months that we were training for the nineti Olympic Games, I used to go off to St. Joe's where the Sixers used to practice. And the Sixers weren't really that good at the time. So John Lucas, it's his job was on the line, like every day you were reading the paper. You know it could be any day now and that he gets fired. But he saw me. He used to

ask me, why am I up here? And I told him, I, you know, I had to have I gotta get surgery because my knee. He was like, look, let me, let me let me send you to uh Dr Andrews in Birmingham. Like he paid for me to go to see the He wanted me to see it. Seem by the best of the best. Now I didn't like what Dr Andrews told me, but um, like seriously, like it was. It was ninety five ninety early ninety six. I went to Dr Andrews and Dr Andrews. You know, he did the X rays. He looked at me and I'm I'm six

years old at the time. And he looked at him. He was like, how old are you? I said, I said. He was like, he said, you you what are you trying to do? I said him, I'm I'm trying to get on the Olympic team, like I'm trying to play. He was like, okay, well you you play this Olympic Games and then you need you need to hang it up. You know, if you want to run around with your kids later in life, then you need to you need to hang it up. I had to get out of

his office. I want to try to hear that. So if I listened to adopt the and and Drews, I probably would only be a one time Olympian. Now I walked with a limp every day. But but what was your what was your Kobe story up there too? Kobe used to come. I used to work out at St. Joe's. Kobe used to come and work out at St. Joe's and he used to get in You know, it's probably a little tempering because he was supposed to be working

out with any pro team. But he was he was out there, you know, like like Kobe had his I mean his nose was up, chest up, like he felt like he long. He would he would talk, smack, he would dunk on people. He was a killer, like at seventeen years old. And the see, you know, the see his career and and how much he impacted the game, and to see when he went into retirement, how much he impacted you know, the girls basketball and women's basketball

just by just by being a girl dag. I mean, his day, his legacy lives on and women's and women's back and women's basketball world. I know, I know what

he's done for the NBA and around the world. But there's a special place in our hearts for Kobe Bryant and gets no. He definitely took that first step because obviously, you know, as as NBA players were fans of you guys, but I think getting the outside respect from maybe particularly NBA fans, I think when Kobe stepped out on that on that limb and and really stood for you guys, I think that's it kind of seemed like the tide of change and you gotta started getting talked about more.

And now it's really everywhere, And I just heard the other day they're starting to all women's version of something like ESPN. It's just gonna be strictly on women. So I think it's come so far. And you know, you're you, and you know some of your your former teammates had a lot to do with the foundation and that, you know what I mean. So it's amazing to kind of see where it started to where it's gotten and had he definitely head in the right direction now. So I mean,

it's long overdue. I mean, you you're gonna be good at whatever you invest in. You are. I mean, we we can look at like like I mean, I I don't have any children, but I got a dog. I mean he's pretty cool, pretty cool cat. Right Like, if if I didn't train him, like if I didn't like train him to be livable with me, you know, he wouldn't be worth anything. But but now that I've trained him up, and you know, he he tells me when

he's gotta go out and party. He tells me when he's hungry, I mean, looks into my eyes like he loves, like he gives me signs like but it's the same thing. It's the it's the same thing. If you pour into women's sports, there's something good it's gonna come out of it. I mean, look at I mean you you mentioned my salary and I don't really you know again I don't. I don't really do it for the money. But it's nice, it's big. But I mean that's the very thing that's

gotten the headlines was the was the money. And for for me, it's more of it's for other people, like I'm I'm gonna enjoy it, but they're they're you know, they're investing in the universe of South Carolina is investing in their women's basketball coach. And I'm just hoping that other you know, other sports of the professions of the just invest Now. I mean I think I've earned it. I think I've earned it. Like I'm not. I want

to ask for this. I want to ask for this twenty two years ago because I learned it, but twenty two years later and it's the same success. Um, And you gotta strike when irons hot too, so time isn't important as well. But also just being in aspiration to two girls looking to take that route, Like you said, you took the sports route, now you're taking the coaching route.

And so many people want to be involved in sports, but they may not have enough to be an athlete, but there's so many other ways to stay around the sport. And again you coaching now is another way. So I think that's dope. So coming out of college, there was no w n B A yet, so you had to, uh, you know, go overseas for a handful of years. You get back and the tucks. So what was it about the A b L and then eventually the w n

B A for you which you made home. So so during the doing that Olympic training year, UM, like UM, the A b L, the A b L founders came to our team and they pretty much asked us to be a part of it. They said they were gonna pay us a hundred and fifty thousand dollars UM a year to be founding members. And all of us, all twelve of us, agreed to do it because we didn't know anything about the w n B A. Didn't tell us about the w n B A to a few

months later. Um. And then once the w n B A decided that they were gonna start a league, three of you know, the more you know, Profoule names in our game, Lisa, Sheryl, and Rebecca. They chose to go to the to the w n B A, and then nine of us chose to stay in the A b L because we you know, we made a commitment to it, and and I did it because I made a commitment

to it. And then after spending two years um in the A b L, I decided just for for personal reasons, like I had bad knees, and the A b L was like the traditional basketball season, so it was eight months, so I wanted to play for much longer, and the w n B A is like four or five months. So I said, I need to hang my shoes up with the A b L and go to the w n B A so I can play a lot longer.

And then I actually, I actually made the right decision at the right time, because you know that that following season, the A b L went under, So I mean so, I mean, it was it was pretty cool that I got a chance to experience both. But you know, the the w n B A was that and it is that that carrot that's dangling in front of little girls who aspired to, you know, to be professional women's basketball

players here in our country. Like I look at Asian Wilson, like she doesn't know life without the w n B A, Like she grew up on the w n B A. And because of that, she might a little bit harder. She might work a little bit harder. She might just you know, just give more, like dedicate herself a little bit more, because you know, she knows there's there's a place for her to continue her career. Yeah, definitely. So n you were the ninth overall pick to the Charlotte Sting.

Shortly after that, you gott are headed to the NBA or excuse me, the w NBA finals. What was it like, uh to be a part of that, you know, obviously being drafted but then finding success right away. I didn't they don't even invite me to the draft, Uh, but it was it was cool, like, you know, to be a part of a w NBA finals, like and in

that particular finals. We started the season like one in ten, like one in ten, and it's a thirty four game season, so you know, we we made a move, uh to actually even get to the finals, but uh, to be able to play the finals against you know, one of who I think one of one of my most my favorite teammates, a good friend of mine, Lisa Leslie Um was pretty cool to share it in that spotlight with her. I mean, I I ended up being on the losing end of the stick, but it was it was cool

to sharing that moment with her. August first, two thousand five, you was traded to the Houston Comments and you announced before the season that it will be your last one. Was it was the knees talking to you. You know, it actually wasn't my knees, it was actually my heart, Like really, yeah, you know, you're you know you. I mean, we all go through some type of pain as as players, and you know, you you you you develop a strong like threshold for pain that you know that secondary Yeah,

it's your it's your mentality. You know that could get you over the edge. But I I actually played in the w n B A one more year than I probably should have, And I only did that because I wanted to get it out of my system. And I was actually coaching and playing at the same time, so so I had to get it out of my system so I wouldn't look back. And I didn't look back at all once I was done. I was tired of

working out like I was. You know, I was mean, I was meaning to my trainer like me onno read and I didn't, you know, I didn't feel like getting my body ready to play. I didn't. So I was like, this is it and and thankfully I got through, and

and you know, I never looked back. I was fortunate that I was already in a profession of coaching and and being a dream merchant for young people that you know, I transition nicely into its y. Yeah, And that's crazy because with me, I I thought I'd never stopped playing basketball. But my body start talking to him, and I, like you said, just for just preparing with knowing how you prepare to to to play. You know, I played in the Big Three a couple of years ago, but I

couldn't do them. Like I love the game so much, let me try coaching, you know what I mean. It was able to win the championship, so I we love the game so much. We might not playing the more, but we're gonna stay around the game as long as long as we can. That's just what we do. You You you impacted the w the w n b A so much that you have the Community Leadership Award named after you talk about that, I mean that's cool, Like really that that's cool because you know, as as athletes, um,

we we want certain things. We want to be the best at what we do, and it sometimes because of that, people see I mean they see your heart, they see what you put into it, they see that, um, you're a good teammate. They see that you are a great service woman to the game, and and they thought so much of that to bestow an award, Like there aren't very many of them. I think it's me and Kim parot Um and I don't know if it's another one.

I don't know if there's another one, but um, that is something that's etched in in the history of the game. And I'm I'm I'm thankful because every year every summer, I'll get to go and and hand out like my award to someone who's giving back to the community and who are who are leaders and giving back to the community. So man, that's that's that's that's super cool. That's that's really really cool, because that's, yeah, that's something that you don't you know, like I wanted to be an Olympian,

I wanted to be a national champion. I didn't know that you know these awards, could you know it could be something a part of my legacy. Who was your toughest matchups when he was in the w n B A toughest Um, I mean t spoon tea spoon was you know, used to get after it. She used to get after it. She used to get on the nerves. Yeah, she's getting my nerves. Like but but I look forward to it though, like you know, we we we had battles like you know you're gonna get her best, and

she knew she was gonna get my best. And that's when you know you you have last tea memories of that because when you when you can look back on it and say, she's the one that that gave you the most trouble. Those are memories because I don't remember half of the people that I played against because they didn't they ever repressed me that much. Who you like watching the day w n B A. I mean, let's see my my my favorite all time w n B players,

she's retired down to meet the catchings. Um, but I like to I like to watch our you know, the kids that I coached, they they're growing women down. But Asia Ty Harris Um Elena coach, Kaylin Davis, Um, Tiffany Mitchell. Like I I like to see are the ones that you know that suited up with with us every day. I like to see their growth and how they how they mature over the years. You got some cold guards over there now too. We got some future w we do. So you say you don't set many goals, Um, getting

an Olympic gold was one of them. What was that moment? Actually?

Like once you want it, I mean I'm gonna give y'all story like once once, I like, once I got it, Like I mean, when I when I go back and look at I don't look at but you sometimes they show like little small snippets of us receiving our gold medal on different like the you know, Olympic channel and all of that, UM and ninet X. When they got to me and they were gonna put the gold medal around Monday, I told them to give me mine, like I said, give me mine, because that was you know,

that was a lifelong dream. But I'm gonna tell you after that, after that moment, I think I got a little depressed because when you when you achieved like a lifelong dream, it's like, well, what's next, Like, really, what's next? I know that the A b L was next, but something came over me like I wasn't motivated to do anything. Um, and that was like the weirdest feeling that I've that I like it and it has never happened to me again.

That was the only time. But um, my coach UM in the A b L. Her name is Lisa Borts. She actually is is our assistant, our associate head coach here South Carolina and she's been with me for the past twenty years. Um, she was my my coach and the A b L. She just gave me some time off before training camp and that was the time off that I needed to kind of re rejuvenate and get myself ready to go back at it and play. You gave your first gold medal to your mom? What was

that experience? Like, I mean, you know, you know how special mothers are, Like you know, mothers are you know, ones that are there for you on the good, bad, ugly days, and they're the most consistent people. I mean, they're the ones that believe in you, they're the ones that humble you, they're the ones that um pay for the sneakers like she gotta wear their favorite codes like and to be able to give my mother that tangible gold medal, uh, it's priceless. It's it's priceless. And I

know that. Um, I don't know. I mean she didn't really want it. I mean she she she wanted me to have it, you know. But to be able to do that is you know, I mean board tearster eyes. And there's nothing more than than gratifying and making your mother proud. M m. Not like it. Nothing in the world like it. Two thousand four, your unaniously chosen to carry the Olympic flag during the opening ceremonies. Care from Philly.

What's that like? The go I mean, I'm gonna tell you all the process of of how a flag bird is voted in. And I was a part of the process. And the process is all the captives of all the teams at the Olympics. We come together in one room. And not to cut you off, like how many people is that? Yeah, it's about people, right, So we come together, my my teammates and the men's team. They said, we

want you to nominate yourself, right, Yeah. So so I'm in the room with people and everyone breathes in candidates for flagburn. And then we had some other people on the phone, and there's nobody in the room that's that's that's a candidate besides me and you. You actually have to discuss each and every person. So and I'm talking about people who have suffered, like they've come back from career ending um injuries and to come back to compete

in the Olympic Games. I'm talking people have UM, they've had cancer and they've beat cancer. And then and then I had to get up in the room and speak in front of everybody. I basically just said and this is what I said. I said this this is my

third Olympic Games. I'm currently UM the coach at Temple University, and I also playing the w n B A and UM and I have a foundation to doing Staley Foundation and I serviced UH middle age girls in North Philly and I'm undefeated and right, and then you hear the other candidates and you hear what they're about, and then

we say okay and signed the vote. So they take a vote for the top five and they come back and they say they give us a list of the top five and I was on it and I'm just like really like I didn't really compare to what was happening. And then we said we take another vote for the top three, and it's it's happening this quick. And then I'm you know, I'm a part of the the list of three, and I really like looking around the room

like really like it's am I being pranked? And then they we go back and we do another for the for the fabbrary and they come back and they said it's me. And honestly, I didn't really know the magnitude

of it. And I had been a part of three Olympic Games, and I you know, we as the basketball like it was the dream team, so we always going last, like when you when you're going into an Olympic ceremony, like the opening ceremony, like all the other athletes go, and then for the protection of really the dream team, we all and we're going last. So I never knew what the flag bearer was because we always went in last.

Um And then our administrator she met me outside of the room and I said, yeah, Carol, Carol Kalin, I said they voted me and as the flag bear. She was like and I was like, yeah, like so I'm like, what now, Like she I said, they told me not to tell anybody. She was like, let's let's get your

mom on the phone. Let's call your mom, right. So I actually told my mom, like if I didn't know what it was, I know my mother didn't know what it was, but she would soon find out that being the flag bearer means when they stayed the United States of the Olympics, you know the United States, you're the first one that walks in the stadium. But before that, they said, listen, as flag bearer, you can't dip the flag.

You walk in the stadium with the smile, no matter no matter how you're received, because you know, as as Americans, you you can get booed, you can get hissed. You don't even know how you're gonna be received. So I said, I can hold it up. I can hold the flag up, and I can smile. I can do that part. I can. I understand that assignment. I can. I can do that. But what I didn't know is when your sport is the flag bearer, you get to come in first. So the Dream Team he had changed the order up, and um,

it was the coolest thing. Though it was by far, like I equated to like a royal wedding. When I walked into that that that's that's eight. It was, it was, it was incredible. Wow. I mean I've only we've never had a conversation. I've only known you as a fan, as a player, and as a coach. And then how highly Stack speaks of you. But to to to hear that you're voted the flag bear, to hear that there's an award Dave after you, I mean, that speaks a

lot about who you are as a person. And there's not too many solid people out here, so we always want to just smoute the real ones here. So we just wanted to shout you out real quick man for just being a solid individual and continuing to motivate not just women but everyone in general through your actions, also your word. The most important to me is actions and and and and your actions speak very loudly. So we

want to commend you for that. Um any fun stories while you were there, your team with the guys, team, just Olympics overall, Any crazy Olympic stories, funny stories, Yeah, I actually got I got one like it and it happened during like one of the one of the openest ceremonies like when I wasn't a flag beard. But um, again we're the last to come in. And you have to understand when you're with the dream Team. It was a dream team in what Scottie Scottie Pippen was on.

So when we come into the stadium and we're the last ones, and and when the when the opening ceremony is over, like when it's over, and all chaos occurs because all the other countries want to get pictures with the dream Team. Right, I got smashed, like I got small. I'm sure Scotti Pittman picks me up and it takes me the safety so we get swallowed up. So that was that was That was a cool story to share with you all. It was cool, Like, uh, let me see what other stories that I that I got to share.

I actually got to see in two thousand, I got to see one of um and the it's got a little dark cloud because um, what's her name, Marion Jones? Yeah, I gotta yes to see her actually running the quarterfinals. I mean, we know what happened after that, but I witnessed that. I'm I'm a big boxing boxing fans, so I actually a ninety six. I got a chance to see I don't know if y'all know, like David Reid Easter from Philadelphia. You know, I got a chance to

see him him fight. He I don't think he had a strong pro career, but I got a chance to see him fight. So is it cool? I always wondered that you guys can conduct whatever as long it doesn't conflict with your actual practice, schedule, games. But you guys can bounce around and see whatever you want to see. We you can get tickets to anything like well, I mean most we we all supported the men's team, but I got track and field tickets are hard to get. Um boxing tickets are a little bit easier to get.

Swimming is hard to get, but sometimes you get you know, you can get lucky and get some but more times and now you you you get to see what you can you know, whatever you want, what what event you want to see? Podcasts? You're in the podcast game. Now tell us a little bit about that and why you want to start with. Oh, y'all the first ones to know that, I mean y'all, the first one I haven't it's un announced, Okay, we know everything about you announced

it all here then what you got. I'm not even a talker, so I don't even know how I got talked into doing a podcast, but um, the name of the podcast is, uh, netlife with Don stealing. The netlife is obviously you know some of the net symbolizes my basketball, my life and and and I'm talking to people that, uh that's not just basketball, it's pop culture. It is you know, it's it's you sneaker head. I am. You know, I don't really consider myself a sneaker head. You are, though,

I am? Yeah, I mean, you know how follow you? You always posting some fly kicks? Are you sneak ahead? I just like the ones that people can't get? Yeah, those, I mean it's like it's like a competition. But then when I posted you got you got the real steak your head standing there take, they're jealous. So yeah, I'm just talking to like I like, I like to figure out what makes the like successful people great, Like why are they so great in their profession and their fields?

And and I just think I have a voice out there for for women, and I want to put that on full display because now it's times like like talking makes me uncomfortable. But when you're uncomfortable. Growth is taking place, So I always want to grow as a as an individual, and I'm just gonna use this platform on them the spread some good news. So if someone has you know, if they're in the field or not, we know what what what connects great people who are successful and I

want people to I want people to eat. I want people to be great at what they do. And if if words from other people help, not mean giving the platform to you know, to receive the information you You also have something that money can buy, and that's experience. Experience is the best teacher and a lot of times that's all people want to hear. People access all the time. Give us a story by when using the locker room because people will never see those things, you know what

I'm saying. So experience is always the best teaching people. People love that when it's all said and done. Six time w NBA All Star, w NBA ten Anniversary Team in two thousand six, w BA fifteen Anniversary Team in two thousand eleven, Hall of Famer, and more accolades. What are you most proud of? I'm most proud of being the odds either because that's the some of that's the some of it all, Like I mean, growing up in the projects. You you know, people looking from the outside looking,

then you're you're not supposed to mount to anything. You know this the yeah, the odds are stacked against you. So I beat the odds. And I'm trying to share and and and and help out other people who just need a little ray of hope. And you know, I reached back like also just want to share it to Like I went back. I went back to my neighbor when we won a national championship, I went back to my neighborhood. There's a rec center that I grew up playing.

I grew up playing and it was called the Moralin Recreation Center that was renamed the Hank Gatherers Recreation Center. So I went back there and gave them a national championship replica trophy and a and a case and its it lives there because that is you know, as as any young person that walks through those doors, that's the hope, that's the dream. That's just say hey, it's a tangible thing to say, hey, you know that that hard work and that hardware was was was was honed in these

in this gym on these rims in this place. So so I just like to just just make sure that people that people can come up, Like I am all for people coming up and realizing their dreams and reaching their full potential. That's what's up question real quick, Um, do you have any you mentioned Het Gathers twice. Do you have any hate gathering stories or just if not, stories how Philadelphia looked at him as a person. Yeah, well, I mean, Hank Gathers was was the epitome of like

hard work. Like you look at him play, he's working harder than any other player. Um, you know his tragic death, he he couldn't work as hard as he normally worked, so he took less medicine. Yeah, so you know, he is the epitome of of of who we are as Philadelphia's and as we blue cloud of workers. We only he only wanted to make it to the league. You know, he was one of them that wanted to make it to the league for his family and that was cut short.

And we don't know why things happen, but certainly his his legacy lives on and a lot of us, um, well we'll never will never forget him. Absolutely, Rest in peace, quick hitters. First thing to come to mind. Let it out. Top five greatest female athletes of all time? You're talking about good question. Yeah, Jackie joined the Kersey nice Um, Serena, Teresa Edwards, Flow, Joe, Hello, Joe. You know before Serena,

Stephie Graff was one of my favorite I'm tennis. Yeah, you gotta know about Stephi grad What album can you listen to or repeat with no skips anything? Baby face? Okay? Is that how you were? Were you someone? Because I was I was mixed? But were you? Were you someone listened to like rap rap or you or or R and B. What did you listen to get I'm old school R and be in gospel like rap rap. I gotta listen to something I can I can actually understands. Yeah,

so rap rap. Let me see. You know somebody told me, and I didn't notice, somebody told me, you know the Roots is from Philadelphia that they actually said my name in one of their songs. Actually, what's your calls father? What's his name? Porter? For the Nuggets? Michael Porter, Yes, junior senior, who was a coach at Missouri on the women's side at first before he went to the men's side. When his son you know went to Missouri. He told me that, okay, small world, what's up? I gotta go.

I gotta go find that song. See what she's talking about? Court side to relieve, relieve any game in history? Which one would it be? NBA? No, it could be any any game, a game in history, any game? Oh six is eight? Three championships court side, court side? Dr cheeks Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, silent five dinner guests dead or alive. Okay, it's a good one. Um um oprah Oprah would take up the whole conversation though, um Princess Diana, Oh yep, um uh barack mm hmm mm hmmm. Yeah, you guys stunning at

me with this one. Uh dead or live? My mom? M hmm, nice mom. And you know I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna go a little younger. I've met her before, though, so I'm not gonna say I was gonna say Serena. But I met Serena before she was young then, and I met at the Olympic Games. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna bring Kobe back. If you can see any guests I have any guests on all the smoke, who would it be? But before you answer the question, you have to help us get your answer on our show. Then

I set a set up. It's a whole set up. I just get you said. Any guests, Yeah, whatever you want. Who do you want to see on the show. Yeah, go get Serena, Tiger Woods, both of them, both of them. Well. Oh, our our our research team find us called Dundee is the name the song you're on by the Roots? Okay Dundee Dundee? Alright, yeah, so check that out. And I never heard it. I confided, he didn't, he didn't know the song. We just said it again. Shout out your

podcast net Life featuring yourself on Just Women's Sports. When will that? When you guys dropping, we're dropping, We're dropping. I believe next week you need us let us know down always down. Well, thank you very much for your time. Congratulations at the accolades, coaching man a role model again to not just women, with people in general. We'll be checking for you, guys, and thank you for your time. Dog.

Thank you so much, and thank you for all for giving women a platform and the and and what many may seem is all male space, but so I appreciate you all, fellers. Thank you Check this out on Showtime Basketball, YouTube, and the I Heart platform Black Effects. We'll see y'all next week. This is all a Smoke, a production of The Black Effect and Our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime