Dawn Staley expressed that had she received an offer for the New York Knicks head coaching position, she would have felt it necessary to depart from South Carolina, a place where she has celebrated three national championships.

Staley had an interview with the Knicks before Mike Brown was appointed last month.

“I would have had to do it. Not just for me. For women. To break [that door] open,” Staley revealed during the Post Moves podcast alongside Aliyah Boston from the Indiana Fever and former WNBA legend Candace Parker. “It’s the New York Knicks. I’m from Philly. But it’s the freaking New York Knicks.”

Dawn Staley talks with two of her South Carolina players during the national championship game against UConn in April. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

It’s not clear if the Knicks seriously considered Staley for the head coach role, as they interviewed various other candidates such as former Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego, former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, and current Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.

The 55-year-old Staley indicated she thought she performed well during her interview but questioned if she risked her chances by asking whether the Knicks were ready for the implications of appointing the league’s first female head coach.

“How, if you hired me as the first female [head] coach in the NBA, would it impact your daily job? Because it would,” she stated. “You’re going to face inquiries you wouldn’t if you hired a male. It brought them to think, ‘Maybe she’s right.’”

Staley remarked that she sensed a shift in the interview atmosphere after voicing her concerns.

“So, I shot myself in the foot by being inquisitive and asking all those darn questions,” she admitted.