Dawn Staley strides onto mountaintop, and she might stay there

A question this weekend made Dawn Staley pause to consider the correct answer.

Would you consider yourself a better player or coach?

There was a time when that query wasn't even a debate. She's a Hall of Fame player. But now? The answer might have changed.

"Probably a better coach," Staley said. "I can make more of an impact as a coach than I did as a player."

The evidence has never been more plentiful than it is today. Staley cemented her status Sunday night as a rock star coach by guiding South Carolina to wire-to-wire supremacy as the best team in women's college basketball.

The Gamecocks started the season No. 1 and finished the season in the same position, culminating with a 64-49 dismantling of UConn in the national championship at Target Center.

Staley became the first Black Division I college basketball head coach — man or woman — to win multiple national championships, her first one coming in 2017.

Before this season, Staley sent a piece of the 2017 championship net that was cut down to every Black women's head coach in Division I, mindful that young coaches of color at all levels across the country hold her up as a role model.

"It really makes me emotional," she said. "I am their hope."

UConn's history of dominance might never be duplicated, but what Staley is doing at South Carolina has the makings of being the next dynasty.

UConn's Hall of Fame coach, Geno Auriemma, never lost in a national title game before Sunday. He had been 11-0.

Staley is now 2-0 in title games. This won't be her last.

Take it from Auriemma.

"She's very, very demanding and very exact in what she wants and what she expects from her players," he said. "They play exceptionally hard defensively. Doing all those things then allows you to recruit a team like they have right now — high school All-Americans who want to win a national championship. And once you do that, then that train is going, and it's not going to stop as long as she's there."

The conductor has the train moving full steam ahead.

Staley has led the Gamecocks to two national titles and four Final Four appearances in the past seven seasons. She has been named national coach of the year three times.

Staley has become the face of the women's game, along with Auriemma. A vocal and passionate ambassador, she never skips an opportunity to sell her sport or thank those who invest in growing the game. She advocates for more opportunities for Black coaches; she said postgame she's planning to send pieces of the Target Center net to Black male coaches and Black journalists. And empowers her players to use their voices on issues important to them.

Elected to the Hall of Fame as a player in 2013, Staley is a shoo-in to receive that call as a coach when eligible.

Her coaching style is demanding but loving, which can be a difficult balancing act. She gets the best out of her players who, in turn, adore her.

"She gives that vibe of being like a friend, a best friend, someone you can talk about anything," junior guard Zia Cooke said.

The team's style of play reflects Staley's Philadelphia roots. The Gamecocks are tough, strong, athletic, powerful. Opponents better bring a hard hat and work boots when they play Staley's team.

South Carolina beat up UConn in a physical mismatch. That's the simplest way to describe the outcome. The championship put a bow on a special season.

The Gamecocks had the national Player of the Year in Aliyah Boston. Staley was national coach of the year. And they never trailed in the championship game.

"We weren't going to be denied," Staley said. "We were going to play every possession like it was our last possession. I know our players are super exhausted, but they were determined to be champions."

Staley repeatedly used the phrase "our history over their history" this weekend to describe her team's mind-set coming to a Final Four that featured two legendary programs in UConn and Stanford.

The Gamecocks lost a heartbreaker to Stanford in the semifinals last season, missing a last-second putback at the buzzer in a one-point loss.

"We want to imprint our history in the basketball history books," Staley said.

Their history is securely in there now, but this isn't the end. With Staley in charge, it feels like they are just getting started.