Dawn Staley on what Kay Yow would think of NC State making Final Four: 'I hope she's happy'

Dawn Staley remembers former NC State coach Kay Yow quite fondly. The late Wolfpack coach finished her career 737-344, coaching for NC State the bulk of the career.

The program only made one Final Four during her time though. You have to go back to the 1998 tournament, where NC State finished as the No. 10 ranked team in the country in the AP Poll.

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Following South Carolina’s win over NC State Friday, Staley was asked about Yow’s legacy. Heck, she was even asked about a game in 1991 when Staley played for Virginia.

“I fouled out in regulation,” Staley said of the game against Yow’s NC State team in 1991. “Kay Yow is iconic, and I know that she probably has a hand on NC State being here. They’ve got an angel up in heaven that’s still coaching them. Spiritually, maybe some of these players know of her legacy or not, but anytime that someone that’s coached Olympic teams, that’s a legend in coaching, they’ll always have a spirit about their program.”

This season was NC State’s first Final Four appearance since that 1998 team. Staley tried to speak for Yow on her behalf.

“So, I mean, I hope she’s happy,” Staley said. “I really do. I hope she’s truly happy with Wes Moore and their Wolfpack team being here in the Final Four, and I mean it’s a really happy time for, especially when you haven’t been here in a long time.

“I think Wes Moore probably said it earlier, in that it may not have been their best team on paper — because two years ago they had a really, really good team that was probably projected to be in Final Four and they didn’t make it. And it’s funny how you get hot and you get the unlikeliest group to get to the mountaintop.”

Like anything else, sports are random. Yow is a legendary coach, one who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Her greatness was recognized despite the lack of a national championship. However, she led the 1988 Women’s Team USA to a gold medal in the Olympics.

“Basketball is funny in that way,” Staley said. “You persevere, and you figure out ways in which to shock the world. I’m sure they shocked the world when it comes to where they were at the beginning of the season to where they are now. I think it’s a beautiful story.”