Dawn Staley celebrates winning the gold medal Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images

This was awesome!!! It was a competitive game with some very talented players but we all stepped up and grabbed the gold. I get to go out on top, in style. The first one is always special because it is your first. The second one was significant because we beat the Aussies (Australia) in Sydney. This one, being my last one, with such talent makes me elated. I am at a loss for words.

Opening comments on the game:
I thought we stepped up and played 40 minutes of great basketball. Our bench proved to be significant in all of our games and today was no different.

Were you motivated or more focused after the men's team lost in the semifinals?
Regardless of what the men did, we were focused on the task at hand. We weren't going to let any one thing distract us from the task at hand and that was winning a gold medal. Of course we were very supportive of the men, cheering them on to get to the gold medal game. When they didn't get there, certainly it made us a little more focused.

We're sorry they didn't get what they set out to get. But you have to take your hat off to the other teams, Argentina, Lithuania, the teams that beat them were very good.

On the difference between the competition and team from 1996 and 2004?
�96 for us was the Olympic dream because we practiced for 14 months prior to the Olympics. That team really came together as we prepared to win the gold. As far as the competition, I think the competition is about the same, the team play, our styles are very similar to �96. But I think the biggest difference is that individual players are a lot better for their teams. That's probably the biggest difference. Take Lauren Jackson. I think Lauren Jackson is a better player because she's able to play in her country as well as playing in the WNBA.

On the USA's point guards scoring a combined 26 points:
I thought Australia had a game plan and they were going to double team off of their point guards onto our post game. I think that they were focusing on Lisa and Tina. They were really picking and choosing their battles. Picking and choosing what weapons they were going to use, double-teaming and leaving us open. Fortunately our post players found us and inside so we could be effective tonight.

On playing so many years with Lisa Leslie and being at the end of the road as teammates:
Our run has been over a 16-year path and I knew Lisa when she was ... actually I changed her diapers (laughs). But our friendship has grown off the court and it's really helped us on the court. I can talk with Lisa, we have a mutual respect for one another. Sometimes I don't say things appropriately, but she knows I mean well. I think Lisa, by far, is the best player in this world. Until she retires she will hold that title because she can do so much with the basketball. She's a great ambassador for this game. Not only for what she does on the court, but what she does off the court. The way she carries herself, the way she speaks about the game, she's very passionate about the game. We have that in common so it's quite natural every time she suits up for USA Basketball, I want to be there to help her.

Why are the U.S. women's teams dominating so much here at the Olympics?
For women, the pinnacle of our careers is on the Olympic stage. We don't have a whole lot of professional women's sports and the Olympics are a platform for us to showcase our talent after college. Fortunately the WNBA allows us to continue our careers as basketball professionals. Soccer had a little taste of it. I don't know about the softball or volleyball players, but if we can continue to come and win gold medals in each and every Olympics, certainly somebody should embrace the fact that we are good.

On the possibility of coaching for USA Basketball one day:
I do have aspirations of coaching an Olympic team. Coaching the best players in the world .. it's a challenge at times. But I wouldn't mind sitting up here one day and feeling what coach Chancellor is feeling. To do it as a player and a coach...I'd like to know what it feels like to be a part of a gold medal winning team and all the preparation it takes to win.

On her scoring late in the game
I feel like I still have some offense left in me. It shows up every now and again. Fortunately, tonight, I hit a couple buckets. My teammates were looking for me. Lisa gave me the ball down low, and she's never done that before in 16 years.

USA Basketball Head Coach Van Chancellor on Dawn Staley
What do Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes mean to women's basketball?
It's so great. I cried at the end. When they got through taking their pictures in the medal ceremony each one of them gave me their flowers. I thought to myself �you can't get much luckier than that.' To coach three great players and you can bench all three of them at the same time in the game, I didn't realize that until you mentioned that, but to have them, that's why we win. Our experienced players come in here and that's why we win. That's the only way you're going to do it.

On Dawn Staley as a coach:
I don't run the WNBA and I don't run USA Basketball. But I would definitely highly consider Dawn Staley to be one of the assistant coaches in 2008 to make sure Lisa Leslie would want to play. (laughs)

Have you ever seen a better point guard than Dawn Staley?
For the ultimate, ultimate team game, and that's basketball, there's only one basketball and everybody wants to shoot it. Dawn Staley is the ultimate. Tonight I'll give you one reason. Both of my assistants who were sitting next to me were just pulling my arms. Yanking me almost in a wrestling hold saying �coach. You have to put Dawn in the game. You have to get Dawn back in there. One was on this arm, I'd walk away and Anne (Donovan) was on the other arm. I said, �Dawn has two fouls.' they said it doesn't matter, get her back in the game. I said okay, back in the game. I wasn't going to fight those two women.

Swin Cash on Dawn Staley
What is the most inspirational thing you saw from a teammate. I am guessing it was from Dawn.
Yeah, it came from Dawn. She basically said it was gold or failure. And for me, failure is not an option. I knew that the only thing would be gold. That meant in practice pushing Sheryl, pushing Tina as hard as possible, so that when it comes time to win, it wouldn't be a problem. So I felt my role was to always help them prepare, help them prepare. And I didn't want to let them down. And once we got there to the gym today, Dawn basically said it is our gold medal. We are going out and taking it . We're not the letting the refs dictate anything. And I think she played like that tonight.

Tamika Catchings on Dawn Staley
What do you learn from Dawn, as a few players have said that everything Dawn said has come true?
Everything. She's a great leader and a great mentor. Being able to talk to her � I talked to her before last game and told her that I wanted to be a great player, what did I need to do? She told me, �Just play your game. You are a great player. Hearing that from somebody that has been in the game so long, she is a true veteran and a true leader. Going into the game tonight, she said it's going to be a hard fought game for 40 minutes and we have to play hard for 40 minutes.

She is everything. She is the glue to this team. Even with her sitting on the bench, she didn't shut down, she was constantly talking. I mean, she's a coach. She was talking, up in everybody's ear telling us what we needed to do. She's always talking with Lisa and I think that was big deal, especially tonight when we were trying to get the ball into her. She was having some difficulty scoring.

And, she doesn't just talk, she does it, too.

Lisa Leslie on Dawn Staley
On playing so many years with Dawn Staley and being at the end of the road as teammates:
It's hard for me to think about suiting up without Dawn and Sheryl. Sheryl had struggled with her injury and we didn't know if she was going to play. I ran to her and hugged her when I saw her at the airport (in New York). Because I'm like �yes! She's here! Alright, we're okay.' It's an amazing feeling to have these two players out there on the court, I don't care what the score is. I remember one time we were in Lithuania or Russia, down by like 20. We started the second half and came back and won. I don't think there was ever a time in my mind when I thought I'd lose a basketball game. That's a credit to both of them, their heart and their fight.

I feel like I'm still young and I'm still having fun playing this game. The most difficult part for me would be suiting up without having Swoopes and Staley out there on the court with me.

Katie Smith on Dawn Staley
I think Dawn could definitely be an Olympic coach. I don't know when it would be. She's got that knack and she knows her stuff. I think it would be great.

What about her play in the clutch moments of the game?
It was awesome to see Dawn step up and do her thing. She's like? �They're not taking my gold medal.' Every time she plays, she brings out the best of you and you know she is going to handle hers. She did. She made some huge plays. She played some great defense this tournament.

Diana Taurasi on Dawn Staley
She's probably the best leader I've ever known or I'll ever meet. I've learned so much from her in two weeks, she's an amazing person. For her to come on this team and will us to victory, which she did. When we were down she got into the lane and made a couple shots, some free throws, a layup. She was just amazing today.

Dawn, Sheryl and Lisa have been together for so long and it is so great to see them go off with a gold. They are all great leaders and great players.

Tina Thompson on Dawn Staley
How important was Dawn Staley tonight?
Every time we deviated from our game plan just a little bit, she was right there to tellus to get back on track. We listened to all the things she said and it happened. It happened. We won the gold.

Can you see her as coach in Beijing in 2008?
Oh, I could. If you have ever seen Dawn on the sidelines with her team at Temple, she is amazing. She is definitely a student of the game and that has flown from her to her players. She has them doing exactly what she wants and needs them to do. Dawn is a connoseur of basketball. She is an exceptional player and an exceptional coach. The sky is the limit for her. Whatever she wants to do, she can make it happen.