South Carolina announced a long-anticipated contract extension for Dawn Staley. Although negotiations dragged on longer than expected, there was never much doubt an agreement would be reached. The only question was how much Staley would get paid.

Staley has not been publicly connected to any WNBA head coaching jobs. In NBA history, no woman has ever served as a full-time head coach. Lisa Boyer, a current USC assistant coach, was the first woman to hold any sort of coaching position in the NBA, assisting the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2001-02.

Not only is Dawn Staley now the highest paid coach in women’s basketball, she negotiated something else that rivals Geno Auriemma and Kim Mulkey don’t have: a free path to the pros. The University of South Carolina announced a contract extension with Staley on Friday that will keep the three-time NCAA champion in Columbia through