Dawn Staley Hesitates at Reporter's Question: 'Don't Think That's Supposed to Be Out There'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Steph Dwilson | Last updated Mar 28, 2025 9:09 PM ET

After South Carolina's big win against Maryland in the NCAA Sweet 16, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley was careful to give a guarded response when a reporter asked about her upcoming biopic. Her reaction prompted the reporter to comment, "I think I said something wrong."

During the Sweet 16 postgame press conference, a reporter from The Athletic told Staley that she met the director of her upcoming biopic, Kristen Lappas.

The reporter asked, "Although Columbia is now home and Philadelphia is your foundation, it's no secret that Philadelphians are tough, resilient people. What else are you looking forward to people learning in your biopic about the role Philadelphia has played in who you are and how you built this team to sustain the tournament?"

When Staley paused to take a drink before responding to the question, the reporter commented, "I think I said something wrong."

Staley simply responded: "I'm gonna get back with you on that one. I don't think that's supposed to be out there like that. I'll get back with you."

Back in March 2024, The Athletic reported that Staley would be the subject of a new documentary heading to the big screen, but it was currently just in the early stages. According to The Athletic, Kristen Lappas and Sarah Springer were co-directing the movie and Teton Ridge Entertainment was producing and financing it. The production team had already filmed at a few location, including a season opener against Notre Dame, a game against LSU, a game against UConn, and more.

Staley told The Athletic in a statement at the time: "Women’s basketball has not been historically documented for future generations. However, following discussions with Thomas Tull and the Words+Pictures team, I became convinced that their narrative approach and objectives aligned ideally with the creation of a landmark historical piece on women’s basketball."

You can watch Staley's reaction to the reporter's question in the press conference video below.