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The nation’s best women’s college basketball coach travelled to Minnesota on Wednesday to address a packed house of 1,800 attendees at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on the campus of St. Catherine University. In women’s collegiate basketball, Coach Dawn Staley is a household name thanks to her three NCAA championships as head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, which she even finished with an undefeated season.
Karis Zezza, a St. Kate’s basketball teammate who attended Staley’s speech, said, “To have her come to our school and tell us basically the same advice she gives to her team, it’s really as if nothing is different on her level.” Zezza was teammates with Tessa Johnson, a rising star in South Carolina, throughout their high school years.
Zezza, a senior, is using Staley’s guidance to her post-basketball life. “I’ll be going into the nursing field, so I think taking her perspective on — not to judge and meeting people where they’re at — I’ll be working with a pretty vulnerable population, so making sure everyone feels safe,” said Zezza.
Another team freshmen who attended Staley’s address was Hattie Fox. As the MIAC Rookie of the Year, Fox is a freshman. She led the conference in three-pointers made, including a buzzer-beater from half the court, to earn the title. “As she mentioned, you can have a fantastic team, but ultimately, it all boils down to your desire, competitiveness, and personality. You won’t succeed if you don’t love the game, especially in Division III, according to Fox.
Don Mulhern, the head women’s basketball coach at St. Kate, gained insight from Staley’s counsel as well, as he was reminded of the most important aspects of coaching. “People make up [our players]. They have friends and family, as well as hopes, anxieties, and dreams. Mulhern stated, “Those things are far more important than the Xs and Os on the court. With 19 wins in the most recent basketball season, St. Kate’s had the most ever at the school. In their conference, they came in third place.
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