A champion will be crowned in the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament April 6 WNBA Draft 2025.
Dawn Staley has already been on this path. Before Staley was the head coach of South Carolina Women’s BasketballShe was a star athlete for the Virginie Cavaliers. She transformed her collegial success in a long career of the WNBA and three Olympic gold medals with the American women’s team. Staley’s experience to win at all levels has resulted in her coach, helping South Carolina to win three national championships in seven years, including the most recent in 2024.
Staley is not the only coach of the madness field of March Women’s March 2025 to have an experience of the WNBA. From Staley to Kara Lawson from Duke, here is a list of former WNBA players coach in the 2025 NCAA tournament:
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Dawn Staley, South Carolina
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College: Virginie (1988-1992)
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WNBA: Charlotte Sting (1999-2005), Houston Comets (2005-2006)
Staley led Virginie Cavaliers to four NCAA tournaments, three Final Fours (1990-92) and a national championship match (1991) during his collegial career. She was named the most remarkable player of the 1991 NCAA tournament – despite her team who lost the national title against Pat Summitt and the volunteers of Tennessee – and the year player of Naismith College for two consecutive years (1991, 1992).
Staley was drafted by the Charlotte Sting with the ninth overall choice of the WNBA 1999 WNBA. She won six all-star heads during her eight-year career and was then appointed in the 10th and 15th anniversary teams of the WNBA in 2006 and 2011, respectively. Staley also won three Olympic gold medals with the American team (1996, 2000, 2004).
Staley started her career as a head coach in Temple in 2000, while she was still playing in the WNBA and stayed there for eight seasons, taking the owls to the NCAA tournament six times. She took office as head coach of the Gamecoks of South Carolina in 2008 and led the Gamecocks to three national titles (2017, 2022, 2024).
Kara Lawson, Duke
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College: Tennessee (1999-2003)
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WNBA: Sacramento Monarchs (2003-2009), Connecticut Sun (2010-2013), Washington Mystics (2014-2015)
Lawson played for the legendary head coach Pat Summitt in Tennessee and went to One Sweet Sightteen (2001), One Final Four (2002) and two national championship games with the Lady Volunteers, although the Tennessee has deposited the two title games in Uconn.
Lawson was selected by the Detroit shock with the fifth choice in total in 2003 and was immediately exchanged at the Sacramento monarchs, where she was a key member of the team’s WNBA championship race. She obtained a sign of stars in 2007 and won gold with the United States team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where she collected 15 points in the gold match against Australia.
Lawson was assistant coach of the Boston Celtics (2019-2020), before taking over as a head coach Duke Blue Devils in 2020.
Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
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College: Notre Dame (1996-2001)
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WNBA: Indiana Fever (2001-2004), Phoenix Mercury (2005), Detroit Shock (2005)
Ivey went to the promised land of university basketball. She led the Fighting Irish in their first NCAA national female championship in 2001 as a player under the MCGGRAW muffet coach of the time and was appointed to the team of all tournaments. Ivey was then selected by Indiana Fever in the second round of the 2001 WNBA recovery with the 19th choice in total.
Ivey spent five years in the league before going to training. She started her coach career in Xavier as an assistant (2005-07) and returned to her Alma Mater as an assistant under MCGRAW (2007-2019). Ivey took office as a head coach in 2020 after the retirement of MCGRAW.
Funny fact: Ivey is the mother of his son Jaden Ivey, who was written fifth in the general classification by the Strait pistons in 2022.
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College: Florida State (1997-2001)
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WNBA: Orlando Miracle (2001-2002), Connecticut Sun (2003-05), Chicago Sky (2006-2009)
Wyckoff is another player who returned to the coach of his Alma Mater. Wyckoff was a star attacker at Florida State, winning the Honors of the ACC All-Defensive team in 2000 and 2001.
She was drafted with the 26th choice in total of the 2001 WNBA recovery by the Miracle of Orlando and spent time with the Connecticut Sun (after the move of the Orlando team) and Chicago Sky during her eight -year career. She notably struck a 3 -point with two seconds to play in match 2 of the 2005 WNBA final between the sun and the monarchs to send the game in overtime. The sun won the match, but lost the championship series, 3-1.
Wyckoff retired in 2009 after tearing his ACL and entered training. She joined her Alma Mater as an assistant coach under her former head coach, Sue Semrau. Wyckoff was appointed acting head coach of the Florida Women’s Women’s Basketball team during the 2020-21 season when Semrau had to take a leave. She became the semino coach in 2022 when Semrau retired.
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This article originally appeared on USA Today: 2025 The female walking coaches who played in the WNBA like Dawn Staley
