Staley coach USA squad during busy summer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s loaded offseason got even busier this week with her selection as a United States assistant coach for the World Championships.

Staley already was prepping fulltime for her duties as head coach of America’s under-18 team that has tryouts later this month and plays in the FIBA Americas championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado in August.

Now, she’s on the staff of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma for the national team that will play in Istanbul, Turkey, in late September and early October. It’s not Staley’s first brush with USA Basketball or with spending her summer far from campus.

Staley assisted head coach Anne Donovan with the 2008 U.S. Olympic women’s team that won a gold medal. Last summer, Staley joined President Clinton on a tour of Africa.