If Philly wants Dawn Staley to be part of its WNBA expansion team, she’s made it clear what she’s looking for.
“I don’t want to just coach. I want to own … and I do know my worth,” the North Philly native said ahead of Saturday’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction. “I do know if I go to a franchise it’s going to be better because of it, not just my basketball expertise, but … business acumen.”
Staley is part of the 1996 U.S. women’s national team being enshrined in Springfield, Mass. Staley herself was inducted as a player as part of the Class of 2013.
No one from the WNBA has approached Staley about a potential role with Philly come 2030, she said. She made it clear that her speaking on the topic was not her way of asking the team’s ownership, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, to reach out, but it’s not off the table.
She already has some ideas for the path Philly needs to take to have early success once the team comes to fruition. That includes studying the Golden State Valkyries’ model and getting a president, general manager, and a coach who can appeal to fans and is close to Philly. But Staley reiterated that her words weren’t a pitch for herself.
Even if she doesn’t end up back in Philly, Staley’s still a Philly coach through and through, with roots that run deep and carry all the way to South Carolina. In her 26-year coaching career, 18 of which have been with the Gamecocks after an eight-year stint at Temple, the three-time NCAA champion coach said she still applies the lessons she learned growing up in North Philly to her college coaching philosophies.
“When you grow up in North Philly, you really think you can accomplish anything. Like, you’re unafraid, you’re fearless, you just have to figure out how you do it the cleanest way,” Staley said. “I keep those lessons with me because it really has gotten me to this point in my life.”
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley carries her North Philly roots with her.Nell Redmond
Staley isn’t the only inductee in of the Class of 2026 with Philly ties. Longtime NBA coach Doc Rivers also is being honored for his coaching career, which included a stint with the 76ers from 2020 to 2023.
Rivers led the Sixers to an 174-97 record including playoffs, for a .642 win percentage. His team made three straight playoff appearances but failed to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinals each time.
But Rivers looks back on his time in the city fondly, even though he acknowledges that some Sixers fans might not.
“I really believe my difficulty there was … I wanted different people around. But I wasn’t the president of the team,” Rivers said. “I thought our relationship was very difficult, Daryl [Morey] and I, and that made it rough for me. And I knew that. But also … I knew what worked. And I didn’t give up on that, and that probably, eventually, is the reason I wasn’t there in the end. And I’m fine with that now.”
Rivers was fascinated by the immediate changes made by new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey and HBSE president Bob Myers. That included the Jaylen Brown trade, which Rivers called “amazing,” and the LeBron James signing. But what Rivers said was more impressive was the other signings to create a team around these stars, like Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
“I think every GM in the league can go out and get the stars. But can you build around them? And in my opinion, that’s what Myers and Gansey have done,” Rivers said. “They’re going to get the ink for LeBron and for Jaylen Brown. To me, every coach in the NBA is looking to do that, but they should get credit for all these other guys that they’re signing, and they’re doing a hell of a job there.”
Rivers, a 13-year NBA point guard who coached the Boston Celtics from 2004 to 2013 and led them to two NBA Finals appearances, including a championship in 2008, said he was as surprised as everyone was when Brown was traded. Rivers jokingly said that the first thing he thought was when former Celtics player, coach, and broadcaster Tommy Heinsohn told him, “Don’t ever lose to the Sixers.”
With everything they’ve done this offseason, Rivers said the Sixers “have the right parts,” with players like James. The bulk of Rivers’ praise, however, was for Tyrese Maxey, who the former Sixers coach said is “as good of a player [he’s] coached in 26 years.
“I’ve always said, there’s certain people … through your life, they bring sunshine when they walk in their building, and then there’s certain people to bring in the cloud,” Rivers said. “Maxey, he walks in a locker room, and the sun comes out. And that is invaluable to have when it’s a long NBA season.”
Doc Rivers (left) says Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey “is as good a player as [he’s] coached” in 26 years.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Along with Rivers and Staley, Philadelphia native Joey Crawford was being enshrined for his 39-season career as an NBA referee. He worked 2,561 regular-season games, the second-most ever, and also officiated a record 374 playoff games, including 50 NBA Finals games.
WNBA champion, two-time MVP, and Olympic gold medalist Elena Delle Donne, a Wilmington native, also is being inducted. Delle Donne was a seven-time WNBA All-Star and was Rookie of the Year in 2013 after being drafted second overall by the Chicago Sky. During her collegiate career at Delaware, Delle Donne set nearly every women’s basketball school record.
Rounding out the Class of 2026 were longtime Gonzaga coach Mark Few, six-time NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire, six-time WNBA All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw, three-time WNBA champion, seven-time All-Star and two-time league MVP Candace Parker, and Italian American former player and coach Mike D’Antoni.
Philadelphia now has three Rocky statues. That is three statues celebrating a fictional Philadelphian. And while many great Philadelphians already have statues, there are so many who don't.
Who do you think should be Philadelphia’s Next Top Statue?
To decide, we’ll present you with two random Philadelphians from our list of just 26. For each matchup, you choose who deserves to be honored more. The winner will move on to the next round to face another Philadelphian.
You’ll keep going until we end up with your definitive Philadelphia’s Next Top Statue.
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If you're happy with , you can skip the remaining challengers, and lock them in as your choice.
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You think Philadelphia should build a statue of winner and percentageWinner of Inquirer readers agree with you. The most popular winning statues, so far, are popularWinners.
You stuck with longest for the longest, picking them over longestLength other statues.
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Among the Delaware Valley connections are athletes, coaches, entrepreneurs, and even gamers. Here’s a look at six people with ties to the Philly area, whether that means they played here or, as is the case for several, are actually from here …
Dawn Staley
The longtime South Carolina women’s basketball coach grew up in North Philly and graduated from Dobbins Tech in 1988 before playing collegiately at Virginia. Staley split an eight-year WNBA career with the folded Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets and simultaneously served as the head coach of Temple women’s basketball. During her nine seasons on North Broad, Staley led the Owls to six NCAA Tournament appearances and four Atlantic 10 titles.
She’s found even more success since moving to the Palmetto State — her Gamecocks have won three NCAA titles in the last decade and have made eight Final Four appearances, including in each of the last six years. Staley, who has already been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, also won four Olympic gold medals, three as a player and one as a coach.
Saquon Barkley
Barkley’s signing with the Eagles in 2024 marked a full-circle moment for the running back, who grew up in the Lehigh Valley. Out of Whitehall High School, Barkley committed to Penn State as a four-star recruit. Back-to-back seasons of 18 rushing touchdowns led to Barkley being selected second overall by the New York Giants in 2018. During his six years in North Jersey, Barkley only played in two playoff games.
It almost feels as if Barkley’s inclusion is coming a year too late. In 2024, his first season in Philadelphia, Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season on his way to winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl and being named the NFL’s offensive player of the year and a first-team All-Pro. But given his overall dominance, high profile, and previous time in the Big Apple, Barkley’s influence remains.
Actor Rob Mac loves the Eagles, and was on hand for the team’s home opener last season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Rob Mac
Many know Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney) as the creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which is still going strong more than two decades later as it prepares for its 18th season. But recently, the St. Joseph’s Prep grad has ventured into the sports scene. In September of 2020, McElhenney and fellow actor Ryan Reynolds purchased Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC. The team earned a league promotion in three consecutive seasons, a feat nearly unheard of across the sport.
Leveraging his TV background, the 49-year-old launched Welcome to Wrexham in 2022, a documentary series following the team. With Wrexham one promotion from the Premier League, Mac and Reynolds’ sports interest have extended outside English soccer. The pair also purchased minority stakes in the Alpine F1 team, as well as Mexican soccer team Club Necaxa, which also got the docuseries treatment last year.
The Fanatics CEO and former Sixers limited partner grew up in Lafayette Hill. His entrepreneurial spirit was ignited at the young age of 13, when he used his Bar Mitzvah money to open up a ski store. Now 53, Rubin’s slightly larger venture, Fanatics, has become a rapidly expanding empire. The New York-based company holds exclusive merchandise and collectibles licensing rights for all of the big four professional sports and produces on-field/ice jerseys for MLB and the NHL.
In recent years, Fanatics has also taken over smaller brands, like Topps and Philly-based Mitchell & Ness, and has expanded into gambling and other sports-related businesses.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates a three-point basket in front of actor Timothée Chalamet during Game 3 of New York’s second-round series against the Sixers.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Jalen Brunson
The central New Jersey native grew up an Eagles fan, a fact many New Yorkers are content ignoring as the 29-year-old guard looks to lead the Knicks to their first championship since 1973. Brunson certainly knows a thing or two about winning. During three seasons at Villanova, Brunson won two NCAA championships. During the 2018 season, Brunson averaged 18.9 points and was the consensus national player of the year.
Brunson’s Philly area connections run deeper, however. His father, Rick, now an assistant with the Knicks, played college basketball at Temple and spent several years as the head boys’ basketball coach at Camden High, which is likely what led Brunson to rooting for the Eagles over the Giants or Jets. When Brunson had his number retired by Villanova in 2023, he ended the ceremony with a “go Birds.”
Recognized as one of the world’s most dominant League of Legends players, Faker, “the LeBron James” of esports, is a team member and part owner of T1 Entertainment & Sports, a joint venture between Comcast Spectacor and Korea-based SK Telecom. Back in November, T1, which got its start in Philly and has some local ties in its leadership, won its third consecutive League of Legends championship.
