It is becoming increasingly common for individuals to spend their entire careers in the same industry but in different functions. We have seen actors become singers, players become coaches, agents, or – in the case of Stacey Dales – journalists.
Stacey Dales was a Canadian-born basketball player who played college basketball in Canada and went pro in the United States. It is expected that she would have gone far, but her career was threatened by an unfortunate turn of events. But Stacey Dales has made the best of her situation so far. She is now a reporter for the NFL reporter
Stacey Dales Biography
Dales was born on September 5, 1979, in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, as the son of Jim Dales and Heather Dales. Nothing is known about their years of growth, their early education, their parents’ profession, etc. However, she has a brother, Burke Dales.
The earliest known academic record of the former professional basketball player is that she attended Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS), a public high school in Brockville, Ontario, Canada. Her family had moved there from Collingwood after her birth. During her time at TISS, Stacey began to live her basketball dream. She played in the forward guard position for her school team, the TISS Pirates Ladies Basketball Team. During her years there she developed considerably. Dales is credited with playing a crucial role in the team’s enormous success three years in a row. Her contribution earned her school team the Ontario “AA” High School Senior Girls Basketball Championship from 1994 to 1996.
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Stacey Dales graduated from high school in 1997 and moved to the United States to continue her education. She attended the University of Oklahoma. Her talent continued to shine when she set several records of her own for her efforts in Oklahoma. During her studies, she represented her country, Canada, in the 2000 Olympics, and in 2001 and 2002 she made the leap to the first All-American team. During these two years, she also earned the title of Player of the Year for the Big 12 Conference. She responded by becoming the best assistant in her career in the Big 12 Championship (764).
In her final year at the University of Oklahoma, she demonstrated her leadership skills by leading her team, the Sooners, to the NCAA championship game. She was not to reap the glory, however, as she lost the game to Connecticut.
After she left Oklahoma in 2002, she was drafted by the Washington Mystics as the third overall candidate. In the same year she was reappointed to the All-Star Team, but this time as a replacement. In 2004 she retired from basketball due to some health problems. After a year off, however, she was back on the team, this time at the Chicago Sky, when Washington let her go. At the end of the 2008 WNBA season, Stacey officially retired for good. For her efforts during her playing career, she was inducted into Brockville’s Hall of Fame in June 2016.
Stacey Dales Journalism
Stacey remained true to her profession by following the development of her career within the industry. She became a sports journalist. She joined ESPN in 2005 as a part-time reporter and basketball analyst for college basketball games. In November 2008, she left the station due to a contract dispute.
In the second half of 2009, she joined the NFL Network as co-host of Gameday Morning. A year later, she became the local reporter for the Gameday Morning show. As the 2010 Winter Olympics drew nearer, Dales was hired by Universal Sports as a correspondent.
6 Quick Facts About Stacey Dales
Stacey has Appeared in Several Movies
The two-meter tall former basketball player loves her sport so much that it seems to affect the television roles she has accepted – and she has accepted some. In 2006 she appeared as herself in the 2006 New Mexico Bowl film; in 2009 she was herself again as a field reporter in the 2009 Insight Bowl film. Between 2012 and 2013 she sang an animated version of herself in Nickelodeon’s animated series NFL Rush Zone.
She was married to Chris Schuman
On 13 April 2002, Dales married her long-time friend Chris Schuman. After graduating the same year, she added his last name to hers, so that she was called Stacey Dales-Schuman. However, the marriage did not last long. The couple divorced in Dales’ play-free year.
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She Stopped Playing Because she was diagnosed with Raynaud’s Syndrome
This often caused cramps in her hands and reduced blood circulation and loss of sensation. For this reason, she retired from playing in 2004. She must have felt fit enough to return the following year, but in 2008 she decided to quit the game for good.
Dales has an Enviable WNBA Record
In the WNBA rankings, Stacey ranks fourth (62) for most 3-point attempts and second (201) for most 3-point attempts. Not to mention her other non-WNBA records. She was the first player from Oklahoma to score 600 rebounds, 700 assists, and 1,700 points.
Her Brother was a Basketball Player that Went Pro Too
It turned out that her only sibling Burke Dales also loved the sport as much as Dales did. After school, he went pro in the Canadian Football League, where he played ten full seasons and retired in 2014 after representing five different teams.
She is the Highest Canadian Pick in a Draft
When she was drafted by the Washington Mystics, she was the third overall selection for the draft. Her talent got her there, but it also set another record. The draft made her the highest choice ever made for a Canadian player.