South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley confirmed she interviewed this summer for the New York Knicks’ head coaching vacancy, saying she was prepared to become the first woman to lead an NBA team if the job had been offered.

Speaking on the “Post Moves” podcast hosted by Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston, Staley said she entered the interview curious about how the Knicks envisioned her candidacy. “If the Knicks would have offered me the job, I would have had to do it,” she said. “It’s not just for me, it’s for women … it’s the freakin’ New York Knicks.”

The Knicks ultimately hired veteran coach Mike Brown to succeed Tom Thibodeau, who was dismissed after guiding the team to its first Eastern Conference finals in a quarter-century. According to league sources, Staley impressed New York executives during the process but was not among the finalists.

Staley, 55, acknowledged that she challenged the organization with questions about inclusivity and the implications of hiring a woman, which may have impacted her chances at getting the job.

“The NBA has to be ready for a female head coach,” she said.

A Naismith Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA champion with South Carolina, Staley signed a contract extension in January worth more than $25 million through the 2029-30 season. She has previously been linked to NBA openings, including an interview with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021.

Her candidacy with New York came amid a broader but gradual rise in women on NBA sidelines. Several women currently serve as assistants, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ Lindsey Harding, who was the first female head coach to win G League Coach of the Year honors in 2024. No woman has yet been appointed to a full-time NBA head coaching role.

–Field Level Media