Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Long-time friends set for semifinal rematch
SAN ANTONIO — Dawn Staley remembers talking to her Olympic Coach Tara VanDerveer before she took the job at Temple two decades ago.
The Stanford coach actually suggested that Staley not become the head coach at the Philadelphia school because she was still playing in the WNBA and wouldn’t have the time to do both well.
Twenty-one years later and Staley admits she still has a bit of a chip on her shoulder about that conversation and has used it as motivation both at Temple and now South Carolina.
“I don’t look down on her because she put that chip on my shoulder,” Staley said. “I just needed that, the past 21 years. I thank her for making the chip a little bit bigger.”
The two friends meet tonight in the Final Four when VanDerveer and Stanford takes on Staley’s Gamecocks.
VanDerveer said she has the utmost respect for her former Olympic point guard.
“As a player, she saw the game so well she really has great instincts, a great understanding of the game,” VanDerveer said. “She’s a great leader of her team.”
VanDerveer knew when she was coaching Staley in the 1996 Atlanta Games that she would be successful in whatever occupation she chose.
Staley is “someone who is super competitive, whatever Dawn decided to go into she was going to be at the top of whatever career she decided,” VanDerveer said. “In law, politics, she has it, she’s a very special person. I cheer for her every game except for the game [tonight].”
This isn’t the first meeting between the two on the big stage. They played in the 2017 Final Four and South Carolina rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to win en route to the NCAA championship.
“I asked our team why can’t you execute what you want to execute?” Staley said. “One player raises their hand and was like ‘because we’re millennials.’ Really? That’s the answer you have.
“We all kind of laughed. Broke it down, huddled it up and got into their lead and eventually ended up winning the game.”
Stanford freshman Cameron Brink injured her leg in the Cardinal’s come-from-behind victory over Louisville in the Elite Eight. VanDerveer is expecting her to play tonight.
“She’s doing well so hopefully she’ll be ready to play,” VanDerveer said before practice Thursday. “Don’t know 100% the answer right now. She tweaked her leg a little bit. Hopefully it’s minor. We’ll see.”
In her place, Ashten Prechtel scored all 16 of her points in the second half to help the Cardinal rally to beat Louisville.