Dawn Staley is overcoming discomfort of 'being in the spotlight' to host a podcast that elevates women's sports
- Dawn Staley is hosting a brand new podcast for Just Women's Sports called "NETLIFE."
- The superstar coach is overcoming nerves about "being in the spotlight" to elevate women's sports.
Dawn Staley swears she doesn't like the spotlight.
By nature of being one of the best in her business, the superstar head coach of the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks and the gold-medal winning USA Basketball team has had to deal with bright lights and flashing cameras. However, when given a choice, Staley prefers to lay low and "stay in my lane."
But when the opportunity arose for the 51-year-old to help elevate women's sports by hosting her own podcast, she decided to make an exception.
"For the greater good of what my life story has been about, it'd be crazy not to step into this space," Staley told Insider. "Is it gonna be somewhat uncomfortable for me? Yes, because I am uncomfortable in front of the camera. I may not be perceived that way, but you know, I get nervous to be on 'The Today Show.' I get nervous being in the spotlight."
"But nervousness shouldn't prevent me from wanting to do it if it's going to help women," she added. "I mean, seriously, it's a no-brainer when it comes to wanting our sports to grow and wanting our gender to grow."
This week, Just Women's Sports launched Staley's podcast, NETLIFE. The new series will span a wide range of topics, including leadership, politics, pop culture, and – of course — basketball.
Each week, she'll sit down with an influential individual from one such space for an impactful conversation that, ideally, enables each listener to "walk away adding something to your life that is going to allow you to add to somebody else's life."
"I really have a fascination for how successful people become successful," Staley said. "We see successful people, but we don't really know their journey, and more times than not, their journey looks like everybody else's journey."
"The guests that I have on — it's different ones that come from different professions — but I'm learning," she added. "I take notes when I have my guests because I know that I don't wanna forget."
But rest assured, it's not all serious. She'll make time for some silly stuff as well.
"I'm probably, self-prescribed, like I'm a little messy," Staley said with a chuckle. "I like to know dirt and what the tea is out there. So [now] I get a chance to ask!"
Fittingly, the first episode of NETLIFE — which comes out Wednesday wherever you listen to your podcasts — will feature Staley's longtime friend and basketball legend Lisa Leslie. The two share "a lot of laughs" while reminiscing about their early days together with USA Basketball and in the WNBA.
But they discuss life beyond the court, too, showcasing just how "well-rounded" Leslie is as a superstar athlete, a mom, a journalist, a Black woman, and more.
That's what NetLife is about for Staley: providing a platform to promote women's sports in an authentic, holistic way.
"We're at a place in women's sports where we need to highlight ourselves," Staley said. "If people aren't gonna do it outside of us, then it's on us to do something about it. And Just Women's Sports is doing something about it."
"This is what my whole life has been about — girls basketball and women's basketball, being a dream merchant for young people," she added. "And this [podcast] just lines up with what I've believed in and what I've lived."