Staley pushes prospect pipeline in aim to diversify coaching

By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Women’s college basketball has largely been shaped by legacy coaches like Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma. The 68-year-old has 11 national championships with the Huskies. They’ll play South Carolina for the NCAA championship. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley says she has no interest in staying on the job until she’s 68. She’s focused on trying to lift up the assistants in the pipeline to put them in position for prominent jobs when they open. The push to get more women, particularly Black women, hired as head coaches has seen some progress but leaves plenty of room for growth.