"I didn't like my father for that": Dawn Staley reflects on the road trip her father never let her take
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley discussed what she's learned from her father, Clarence, while doing rounds of interviews for her first book, "Uncommon Favor." In particular, she reflected on a decision he made that she once disagreed with but understands now that she's older.
She reflected on a moment in which she did not agree with her father's decision.
"There's a story that I share in the book about my father, who, I mean, I'm over 50 now, right? ... I don't know if I was 12 – 14 maybe," Staley said on "The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM on Thursday" (Timestamp: 9:36). "I got invited to play on this team in this competition outside of Philly. It was a road trip, and my father was like, 'No, you can't go.' That hurt me. Like, it really hurt me.
"And I remembered it so vividly that for him to deny me that because it was one of the first times," Staley said. [10:00] "But I'm 13, 14 years old, whose parents going to let them, somebody else, take their child out of state? I wasn't thinking about that. I was solely thinking about basketball. But it was one of the experiences that drove me.
"Like, I didn't like my father for that. I didn't like him for the parental decision that he made."
Staley led South Carolina to the SEC regular-season and tournament titles and a 35-4 mark last season
Dawn Staley reveals that the concept of conflict has helped her succeed
During her interview with "The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM," Dawn Staley reflected on her father's decision in not allowing her to join the out-of-state camp. Staley then shared that she realized that conflicts such as those push her to do better in life.
"But as I'm older now and reflecting on and writing the book, I need conflict," Staley said. (10:36) "I know that about myself that I need conflict. Like, everything can't be comfortable. If I have 10 people supporting me here, I need about 10 to 12 people that's hating. I need it. I mean, it helps me. It drives me."
Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks are heading into next season after missing out on repeating as national champions. The Gamecocks lost to the UConn Huskies 82-59 in last month's title game.