The first female head coach in the NBA: The Knicks interview is for women, breaking tradition

If the New York Knicks offer a head coaching position to South Carolina female coach Dwayne Steele, then Steelene will accept the job.

"I had to do it. Not only for myself, but for women. To break that goal," Steley said in the Post Moves podcast with WNBA star Alia Boston and former WNBA superstar Candace Parker. "I had to. This is the New York Knicks. I'm from Philadelphia. But this is the New York Knicks." Instead, the Knicks hired Mike Brown in early July to fill their head coaching position.

"I had to do it. Not only for myself, but for women. To break the tradition. I had to do it. This is the New York Knicks. I'm from Philadelphia. But this is the New York Knicks... I asked so many questions because of curiosity and backfired." Dawn Steele talked about her experience of coach interviewing with the Knicks in the Post Moves podcast. The NBA's first potential female head coach said she's ready. Steley, 55, is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and has led the Gamecocks to three national championships. She said she was well prepared and performed well in the interview with the Knicks. However, she said in the podcast that she had considered asking Knicks management if it was enough to consider how hiring the first full-time female NBA coach would change the organization and whether she was well prepared for it, and she was worried that it might affect her chances.

"If you hire me as the first female head coach in the NBA, how will this affect your day job? Because it will definitely make an impact," Steelly said in an interview with the Knicks. "You'll get asked questions that you didn't have to answer, if you were a male coach. In addition, you have to deal with the media and a lot of other things that you don't have to face when you hire a male coach."

"It made them think, 'Maybe she's right.' After that, I felt the atmosphere changed. So I asked those annoying questions because of curiosity and backfired."

In addition to Steelly, the Knicks also approached former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, and Timberwolves assistant Mika Norri before hiring Brown.