It is becoming increasingly common to see personalities who spend their whole career in the same industry but in varying capacities. We have seen actors turn 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 turned pro in the United States. One expects that she would have gone really far too but her career was threatened by an unfortunate turn of events. However, Stacey Dales has so far made the best out of her situation. She is now a reporter for the NFL reporter.
Stacey Dales Biography
Dales was born in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, on September 5, 1979, to Jim Dales and Heather Dales. Nothing is known about her growing years, early education, parent’s occupation, etc. However, she has a brother, Burke Dales.
The earliest known academic record of the former pro basketballer is that she went to Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS), a public high school in Brockville, Ontario, Canada. Her family had moved there from Collingwood after she was born. While 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. She significantly developed herself during her years there. Dales is credited with playing a pivotal role in the team’s tremendous success three years in a row. Her contribution earned her school’s team the Ontario ‘AA’ high school senior girls basketball championships from 1994 to 1996.
Stacey Dales graduated 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 through as she racked up some records of her own for her efforts in Oklahoma. While in college, she represented her country, Canada at the Olympics in 2000. She made the All-American first team in 2001 and 2002. In those two years, she also earned the title of the Player of the Year for the Big 12 Conference. She responded by becoming the Big 12 championship’s all-time career assist leader (764).
In her final year at the University of Oklahoma, she proved her leadership by leading her team, the Sooners to the NCAA Championship game. However, they wouldn’t get the glory as they lost the game to Connecticut.
After she left Oklahoma in 2002, she was drafted as the third overall pick by the Washington Mystics. In the same year, she was again called up to the All-Star team but this time, as a replacement. In 2004, she retired from basketball due to some health problems. However, she was back after one year out, this time with the Chicago Sky, as 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.
Journalism
Stacey stayed true to her profession by keeping the evolution of her career within the industry. She became a sports journalist. In 2005, she joined ESPN as a sideline reporter and basketball analyst for college basketball games. In November 2008, she parted ways with the network over a contract dispute.
Come the second half of 2009, she joined the NFL Network as a co-host of their show Gameday Morning. A year later she became the reporter on location for the Gameday Morning show. When the 2010 Winter Olympics came around, Dales was contracted by Universal Sports to serve as a correspondent.
6 Quick Facts About Stacy Dales
Stacy has Appeared in Several Movies
The 6 feet tall former basketball player loves her sport so much that it seems to affect the television roles she accepts – and she has accepted a few. In 2006, she appeared as herself in the movie 2006 New Mexico Bowl; in 2009 she was herself again in the movie 2009 Insight Bowl as a field reporter. Between 2012 and 2013, she voiced an animated version of herself in Nickelodeon’s animated series NFL Rush Zone.
Stacey Dales was married to Chris Schuman
On April 13, 2002, Dales got married to her longtime boyfriend, Chris Schuman. After she graduated in the same year, she added his last name to hers, making her name Stacey Dales-Schuman. However, the marriage did not last long. The couple got divorced during Dales’ year off from playing.
She Stopped Playing Because she was diagnosed with Raynaud’s Syndrome
This frequently caused spasms in her hands and reduced blood flow and loss of feeling. It was for this reason that she stepped away from the game in 2004. However, she must have felt fit enough to return the following year, but in 2008, she decided to call it quits for good.
Dales has an Enviable WNBA Record
In the WNBA rankings, Stacey ranks 4th for most 3-pointers (62), and second for most three-pointer attempts (201). Not to mention her other non-WNBA records. She was the first Oklahoma player to hit 600 rebounds, 700 assists, and 1,700 points.
Her Brother was a Basketball Player that Went Pro Too
Turns out her only sibling Burke Dales also loved sports as much as Dales. After school, he went professional in the Canadian Football League where he played for ten full seasons and retired in 2014 after representing five different teams.
Stacey Dales is the Highest Canadian Pick in a Draft
When she was drafted by the Washington Mystics, she was the third overall pick during the draft. Her talent got her there but it also sealed another record. The draft made her the highest pick ever for a Canadian player.
