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April 14, 2006 --Dawn Staley, a 1992 graduate of the University of Virginia, has been selected as U.Va.’s Distinguished Alumna of 2006, the U.Va. Women's Center announced recently.
Since 1991, the Women’s Center’s Distinguished Alumna Award has honored a female graduate of the University of Virginia who has demonstrated excellence, leadership and extraordinary commitment to her field, and who has used her talents as a positive force for change. Past awardees include such accomplished U.Va. alumnae as Katie Couric, co-host of NBC’s “Today” Show, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and astronaut Kathryn Thornton.
“Of all my lifetime experiences, my time at the University of Virginia remains the most life-defining,” Staley said. “I am forever grateful to U.Va. for exposing me to difference, providing the foundation for my quest for knowledge and helping to shape and channel my competitiveness, all of which have ultimately defined me in terms of how I see and participate in the world. I am proud to have been associated with such a fine institution, and I can only hope that I have brought some pride to the university that I love. WaHooWa!”
“Dawn is the epitome of what the Distinguished Alumni Award represents,” said Virginia women’s basketball head coach Debbie Ryan. “Since graduating in 1992 she has brought prestige and honor to the University through her personal and professional endeavors. Dawn’s experiences at Virginia have helped her to impact the world in a meaningful way. She is most deserving of this recognition.”
“Words alone do not adequately describe the unique person and player that almost single-handedly took the University of Virginia’s women's basketball program to a championship level in the early 1990s,” said U.Va. Director of Athletics Craig Littlepage. “Far more important than words, Dawn has had a dramatic and positive influence on women’s sport, creating a greater awareness for the high quality of women’s college sports across the nation.”
During her tenure on Grounds, Staley was a three-time Kodak All-American. She led U.Va. to a 110-21 record, two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Championships, and four appearances in the NCAA Tournament, three times advancing to the Final Four (1990, 1991, 1992). In 1991, Virginia advanced to the national championship game.
Staley remains the only player in NCAA Final Four history to be named Most Valuable Player without winning the national title. She still holds the NCAA record for steals with 454 and was named the National Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992. In addition, Staley was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992 and the Rookie of the Year in 1989.
The head coach at Temple since 2000, Staley has proven herself among the top young collegiate coaches in the country, leading the Owls to four NCAA Tournaments in six seasons. She was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005, and 2002 and 2005 Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year.
Staley’s Owls were ranked in the top 25 during the entire 2005-06 season and ended the season ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press writers poll and No. 18 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll.
All of these accomplishments occurred while Staley maintained her highly visible “summer job” as an All-Star player for the WNBA’s Houston Comets. A four-time WNBA All-Star, she played professional basketball with the Charlotte Sting from 1999 to 2005; she was traded to Houston in 2005.
This summer Staley embarks upon new territory when she serves as an assistant coach for the 2006 U.S. Women’s World Championship Team. Stepping into her inaugural coaching role with USA Basketball, Staley is certainly no stranger to the international game. A three-time Olympic and two-time World Championship gold medalist, Staley was a fixture on USA Basketball teams nearly every year from 1989-2004. U.S. teams with Staley on the roster have posted an amazing 197-10 record (.952 winning percentage).
A two-time USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (1994, 2004), Staley was voted by all U.S. team captains in 2004 to carry the United States’ flag and lead the U.S. delegation into the Athens Olympics opening ceremonies.
In addition to all of her commitments, Staley heads the Dawn Staley Foundation which is aimed at giving inner-city at-risk youth training for their futures by sponsoring after-school programs and conducting summer basketball leagues and fund-raising activities. For her outstanding work with the foundation and its influence within the community, Staley was awarded the 1999 WNBA Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
Staley is also actively involved in the WNBA’s “Be Fit, Be Smart, Be Yourself” program, which is designed to educate teens and women about the risks and dangers of obesity and inactivity and to answer questions about healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices. The Philadelphia native has also taken a role in promoting women’s health, acting as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and Health Partners.
In 2005, Staley was awarded with Philadelphia's prestigious Wanamaker Award, presented annually to the “athlete, team or organization that has done the most to reflect credit upon Philadelphia and to the team or sport in which they excel.” This was the second Wanamaker Award for Staley, who is the only individual woman to ever win the award.
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