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Dawn Staley brings her voice to new podcast NETLIFE

(Elsa/Getty Images)

Recently, every time the upper echelon of women’s basketball comes into focus, Dawn Staley is a part of the picture. In the span of two months in 2021, Staley led Team USA to its seventh Olympic gold medal in Tokyo and signed a record contract with South Carolina for $22 million over seven years, making her one of the highest-paid coaches in women’s basketball. Now, her Gamecocks are the No. 1 team in the nation and the favorites to win the 2022 national championship.

In today’s world, the only thing missing from this level of success is her own podcast. No longer. This week, Staley is launching NETLIFE with Just Women’s Sports, which will feature weekly in-depth conversations with some of the most influential people across sports and other professional industries. WNBA legend Lisa Leslie joins Staley as her first guest Wednesday.

The name of the podcast represents Staley’s own twist on the phrase “ball is life.”

“I’ve given basically all of my life to the game,” she says.

Basketball has been Staley’s north star since she was a kid growing up in the projects in North Philadelphia. She always brought her own ball to the local blacktop courts so that the older guys had to let her join if they wanted to play, since there often wasn’t another decent ball to be found. Staley’s tenacity and love for the game eventually resulted in an athletic scholarship to the University of Virginia, an opportunity she says her family would not have been able to afford otherwise.

Since those early years, Staley has never wavered in her commitment to the game, and it has paid dividends. Her resume includes two Naismith College Player of the Year awards, six WNBA All-Star honors, AP National Coach of the Year (2020), Naismith Coach of the Year (2020) and an NCAA championship as head coach of South Carolina (2017). She’s also a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee and the only person to ever be both USA Basketball’s Player of the Year (1994, 2000) and Coach of the Year (2018, 2021). Remarkably, Staley has been either a player, assistant coach or head coach during six of USA women’s basketball’s seven gold-medal runs. (Yeah, Sue and DT, she’s got six.)

Though she never gave much thought to coaching during her playing days, she couldn’t resist the challenge Temple University’s Athletic Director gave her in 2000. During the Final Four that year, Dave O’Brien asked Staley if she thought she could completely turn around a low-performing program. From 2000-08, Staley did just that, ultimately leaving Temple for South Carolina with a 172-80 record, six NCAA tournament appearances and four conference titles in eight seasons.

Initially tempted by the rags-to-riches challenge, Staley ended up finding deep fulfillment in coaching.

“I’m forever indebted to basketball. It’s given me so much, that every day I try to repay it in some form or fashion,” she says. “Coaching allows me to do that, just working with young people every day.”

Repeating the rebuilding process at South Carolina, she accomplished her life-long goal in 2017 when the Gamecocks won their first NCAA championship in program history behind star player A’ja Wilson.

“The national championship eluded me for, like, 27 years, and once I got it, I felt whole,” she says. “That’s strange because I’ve accomplished a lot in the sport, but that was one of the things that I wanted to check off.”

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Staley was so elated after reaching the pinnacle that she wore the championship net around her neck for many days afterward, calling it her “net-lace.” She also promptly adopted a dog and named him “Champ.” The Havanese is now the most prized creature in her life, making regular appearances on his dedicated Instagram account and at postgame press conferences. Staley is not too modest to admit she muses about names for her next pup if she wins another NCAA title.

Over the years, the 51-year-old basketball legend has found another way to pay forward what the game has given her: by speaking up and using her growing platform for awareness of off-court causes. Staley is very active on social media and shares her views openly with reporters, always advocating for the advancement of women and people of color in her sport and in our country.

Now, with the launch of NETLIFE, Staley will sit down with guests across a spectrum of industries and have long-form discussions about the things that matter to her and her listeners. Staley says her dream guests include President Clinton, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, Reggie Love, and Michael Jordan. Wednesday’s debut episode features Leslie, and with her widespread connections, Staley will no doubt deliver on more of those aspirations.

“We’re looking for people who have a voice, who have something to share that’s not your average answer,” Staley says. “I want to get to the depth of people. I want to figure out what makes them go, what makes them blossom, what makes them hurt, what makes them who they are. Leaders, politicians, change-makers.”

As a leader and a change-maker herself, Staley is always aware of what her individual accomplishments represent in the larger context. When she and Arizona head coach Adia Barnes became the first two Black head coaches to ever cross paths at the Final Four last year, Staley told reporters, “Our history here in women’s basketball is so filled with so many Black bodies, that for this to be happening in 2021, to me, is long overdue, but we’re proud.”

When she led Team USA to Olympic gold in Tokyo last summer as the first Black head coach of the program, she recognized the impact it held for the future: “I know some people are like, if you can coach, you can coach. That’s true, but when it’s a first, and when it’s history-making, I think it’s something to be proud of. It also allows other doors to be opened and opportunities for Black coaches to hold these positions.”

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Staley and A'ja Wilson won a gold medal together with Team USA four years after South Carolina's NCAA title run. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

So it’s not surprising that when Staley was negotiating her new contract with South Carolina, she pushed past her comfort level because she knew it would set the new standard for women’s coaches and gender equity nationwide. “I made a lot of money before the [new] contract,” she told Julie Foudy last month. “It wasn’t for me, and it really wasn’t about the money. But the money is the thing that moves people … the money is the common denominator in it all because it talks, it walks, it shatters glass.”

With a deep, raspy voice that always sounds like she’s just left the sideline of an intensely coached game, and a spunky no-BS communication style, Staley seems to have found a perfect match in podcasting. But contrary to what her Twitter account portrays, Staley says she’s a naturally quiet person.

“All of my life, I’ve been a shy person. I’m OK not talking,” she says. “But I think now is the time in which people are listening. Sometimes people talk and there’s no listening involved, and people shy away from using their voice because they’re not being heard. I think I’m at a place in my career where the things I’m saying, people need to hear.”

Always tactful in her timing and her choices, Staley explains why Just Women’s Sports was a fitting partner for her in tackling this new endeavor.

“It’s time now for us to create our own space because there’s a demand for it. There’s a need for it. There are people out there who want to hear from us,” she says. “When there’s a need for it, we’ve got to give the people what they want.”

Tessa Nichols is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports.

Indiana Fever Shoots for Redemption Against Seattle Storm

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark waits for an inbound pass during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Fever are looking to end a two-game losing streak. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The WNBA is back in action on Tuesday night, as the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm headline a series of games that could make or break the current trajectories of several 2025 title contenders.

Seeking an especially strong Tuesday performance is the Fever, as Indiana tries to snap a two-game losing streak against the increasingly confident Storm.

"There are going to be stretches that are really good and there's going to be stretches that aren't as good," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said on Sunday, addressing her recent shooting slump.

While the Indiana and Seattle clash will lead the Tuesday charge, the night will also see young squads sizing up WNBA juggernauts as bottom-table teams look for a leg up:

  • No. 8 Indiana Fever vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Fever need a win against a Storm side that can't seem to lose, as both teams eye the postseason.
  • No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 9 Washington Mystics, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-coming Mystics will attempt to hand the Lynx a second season loss, as Minnesota star Napheesa Collier remains day-to-day with lower back stiffness.
  • No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Dream are on a tear, surging up the standings as the struggling Wings attempt to take flight.
  • No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks have cooled after a hot start while the Sky has yet to rev up, with both teams aiming to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night.

Teams across the league are hoping to make the most of every minute while also managing injury concerns and absences as the WNBA All-Star break looms.

WNBA Rookie of the Year Odds Shift as 2025 Draft Picks Heat Up

Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron guards Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers during a 2025 WNBA game.
Washington rookie Sonia Citron and first-year Dallas star Paige Bueckers are both off to hot starts in their WNBA careers. (Stephen Goslings/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA Class of 2025 is already making its mark on the league, with first-year players stepping up and showing out while the Rookie of the Year race — and betting odds — heat up.

No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers has been just as good as advertised, with the Dallas Wings guard leading her class in both minutes played and points per game while also charting league-wide in assists per game, steals per game, and mid-range shots made.

DraftKings currently has Bueckers as the clear WNBA Rookie of the Year race frontrunner at -1,000, though the dynamic DC duo of guard Sonia Citron (+1,500) and forward Kiki Iriafen (+1,000) are quickly gaining traction.

Iriafen won May's WNBA Rookie of the Month award after a series of career-opening double-doubles, while her Washington Mystics teammate Citron has continued to execute in the clutch — most recently posting a career-high double-double performance of 27 points and 11 rebounds in last Sunday's 91-88 overtime win over Dallas.

"Not only is [Iriafen] holding her own, she's excelling," Citron told JWS earlier this month. "And seeing that is just incredible."

"Soni just does all the little things," Iriafen added. "She doesn't shortcut anything, she's doing the fundamentals, she doesn't cheat the game at all."

International Signings Ramp Up as Soccer Teams Break for Women’s Euro 2025

San Diego Wave forward María Sánchez dribbles the ball during a 2025 NWSL match.
San Diego forward María Sánchez is transferring to Liga MX side UANL Tigres. (John Matthew Harrison/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Though the NWSL hit the pause button this week, players worldwide are still on the move, as both European and US soccer teams use the midseason break to sharpen their lineups with international signings.

The NWSL has already seen one major departure, with the San Diego Wave announcing Monday that forward María Sánchez will return to her former Liga MX club UANL Tigres after nearly five years in the NWSL, with the Wave set to receive an undisclosed transfer fee in return.

"When the opportunity came to return to Tigres, I had to do a lot of inner searching, and I ultimately decided that returning to Liga MX Femenil and Tigres specifically was the best course of action for my career," the 29-year-old dual citizen and Mexico international player said in the Wave's release.

NWSL clubs are also setting their sights on European free agents, with the Washington Spirit bringing in Juventus forward Sofia Cantore last week — the first Italian signing in league history.

Also hopping aboard the player transaction carousel is new WSL side London City, with the top-flight debutantes inking OL Lyonnes midfielder and Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk on Friday.

Meanwhile, van de Donk's wife and club teammate Ellie Carpenter is also potentially WSL-bound, with the defender reportedly nearing a deal that would see the Australian join Chelsea FC in return for the Blues sending Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to OL Lyonnes.

For their part, OL Lyonnes picked up defender Ingrid Engen from Barcelona as a free agent last week, adding the Norwegian international after snagging French forward and PSG's all-time leading scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto earlier this month.

With the most recent NWSL CBA abolishing traditional trade windows, expect even more international signings and roster reshufflings before the league resumes play on August 1st.

San Diego Wave Honors Alex Morgan with Jersey Retirement

San Diego Wave players applaud Alex Morgan as she exits the pitch during her final NWSL game in 2024.
Morgan won the NWSL Shield with San Diego in 2023. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

San Diego is paying tribute to one of their own, with the Wave announcing plans to retire the No. 13 jersey of NWSL and USWNT legend Alex Morgan on September 7th.

Still topping the team's all-time scoring leaderboard with 23 goals in just over two seasons with San Diego, the retired club captain will be the first-ever Wave player to receive the prestigious honor.

Morgan also led San Diego to the 2023 NWSL Shield as well as postseason appearances in the 2022 expansion club's first two seasons.

"Alex's legacy goes far beyond goals and accolades. She helped lay the foundation for this club and elevated the standard for what women's soccer is today," said Wave FC governor Lauren Leichtman in the team's Tuesday announcement.

"She made this city her home, inspired our fans and community, and helped define who we are," Leichtman continued. "Her impact will be felt for generations, and it's only fitting that her number becomes a permanent part of Wave FC history." 

Morgan joined the Southern California squad's ownership group just last month, saying "San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career."

How to attend the San Diego jersey retirement of Alex Morgan

San Diego will officially retire Morgan's No. 13 jersey during their home match against the Houston Dash at 8 PM ET on September 7th.

Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public online at 6 PM ET on Tuesday.

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