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Aug. 12, 2004
ATHENS, Greece – University of Virginia alumna Dawn Staley (Philadelphia, Pa.) will carry the United States flag during the opening ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens on Friday, August 13. The announcement was made by UVa alumna Katie Couric live on NBC’s Today Show on Thursday morning.
A three-time All-American while at Virginia, Staley will compete in her third consecutive Olympic Games. In 1996, Staley became the first basketball player from Virginia and the second Virginia female athlete to win a gold medal in the Olympics. She added a second gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Staley was named 1994 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year after earning Most Valuable Player honors at the 1994 Goodwill Games and serving as a member of 1994 United States National Team that won the gold medal at the 1994 Goodwill Games.
Should the U.S. capture the gold in Athens, Staley will become one of only three women in U.S. history to earn three Olympic gold medals in women’s basketball (Teresa Edwards and current teammate Lisa Leslie are the other two).
The U.S. team’s first Olympic game is against New Zealand on August 14,
“I’m very proud of Dawn,” Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan said. “I can’t think of a more deserving player to carry our flag. I’m very happy the U.S. Team chose Dawn. She’s a three-time Olympian and has excelled both on and off the court at all levels in the United States and abroad. Dawn symbolizes everything that’s good about the game of basketball and the Olympic experience. The University of Virginia takes great pride in its association with Dawn Staley.”
Dubbed simply “The Leader” by U.S. teammate Yolanda Griffin, Staley already has an unrivaled legacy as a player at every level. Following the Olympics, she will resume her “summer job” as a point guard for the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting as the season has been suspended during the Summer Games. Staley currently ranks third on the team in scoring (8.1 ppg.) and tops the Sting in assists (4.3 apg.).
In her sixth season, Staley helped lead the Sting to the 2001 WNBA championship series and was voted an Eastern Conference reserve in the 2001 WNBA All-Star game. Staley was the winner of the WNBA Sportsmanship Award and the WNBA Entrepreneurial Award in 1999. In 2001, Staley became the first U.S. professional to record 1,000 career assists.
Additionally, Virginia’s all-time scoring leader is the head women’s basketball coach at Temple in her hometown of Philadelphia. Entering her fifth season, Staley guided the Owls to a 21-10 record and their third NCAA Tournament appearance last season.