2022 100 Most Impactful People in Women’s College Basketball

A'ja Wilson - WNBA

The Las Vegas Aces star has already had an illustrious career and she is only 25 years old. In college, Wilson helped her Gamecocks team to a national championship and earned the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award. That season Wilson swept all college awards and cemented herself as one of the best college players of all time. At the next level, Wilson won the WNBA MVP in 2020 before winning her first Olympic Gold Medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Wilson has also dominated off of the court, where she has advocated for dyslexia, social justice movements, and more. 

Adia Barnes - Arizona

One of the youngest coaches to reach a Final Four, Adia Barnes was introduced as Arizona's head women's basketball coach on April 4, 2016 and agreed to a contract extension to lead the program through 2026 in May of 2021. The leading scorer in Arizona women’s basketball history and a WNBA Champion, Barnes came to Tucson after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Washington for five seasons. Barnes has been extremely active in the community through the Adia Barnes Foundation, which mentors under-served youth and conducts charitable events and community service projects such as school supply drives.

Aggie McCormick - Fairfax Stars

Coach Aggie McCormick has coached AAU/Travel basketball for more than 20 years and is the founder of the Fairfax Stars.. The 2019 season marked Coach McCormick’s return as the Head Coach for the U17 Girls Nike EYBL team. She previously served as the Head Coach for 8 years from 2009-2016. The Fairfax Stars are one of only 32 Nike-affiliated teams from across the country and have been in the girls EYBL since its inception in 2014. The Fairfax Stars is a volunteer, community based organization that has served more than 7,000 families since its beginning.  2022 represents the 26th year of Fairfax Stars basketball.

Alex Garfinkle - Select & GUAA

Alex Garfinkle is a managing partner and dynamic part of Select Event Basketball and it's rise in the Girls Basketball community. Garfinkle got his start with Zero Gravity Basketball in 2012 and assisted in ZG's takeover of youth basketball along the East Coast, specifically growing their circuit from Delaware on south. During his span with ZG the company grew from 30 events annually in the Northeast to over 150 events throughout the country. After six great years with Zero Gravity, Garfinkle and his counterpart Matt got their opportunity to launch the Girls Under Armour Circuit. Garfinkle helped design concepts behind the circuit including locations, facilities, schedule, format and many of the other behind the scenes aspects that go into successful events for the teams, players and college coaches. The circuit was a tremendous success and included some of the top teams and players in the country and was highlighted by a one of a kind championship event that was attended by over 500 college coaches from around the country.In just two short years Alex and Matt have grown Select Events to operate over 40 events across the country including some of the largest Girls Exposure events in the Northeast. 

Andraya Carter - ESPN

As a player Andraya Carter was a high school and college standout, competing for the University of Tennessee. After her college career ended, Carter began making waves off of the court, eventually leading to her current role as an ESPN sports commentator. Carter is one of basketball's bright young stars and at just 28, she has positioned herself as an industry leader and a top analyst for women’s basketball.

Andy Landers - ESPN & Georgia 

Former head coach for the University of Georgia Andy Landers has been a staple in women’s basketball for more than 30 years. During his time as a coach, Landers won 866 games and is a member of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Upon his retirement in 2015, Landers has been an analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network. Landers is one of the top analysts in the country and his experience as a coach has allowed viewers to get an inside look of the game.

Ashleigh Picci - Nike TOC

Ashleigh Picci is currently the COO of the Nike Tournament of Champions and has been with Nike for the past 15 years. The TOC is one of the top event platforms for girls basketball in country and has produced events across multiple sports for more than 45,000 student-athletes from every region of the United States, Canada, and Mexico; in the past decade, over 3,000 high school and club teams have competed in more than 30 elite tournaments conducted in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Illinois. 

Becky Hammon - Las Vegas Aces 

Now the head coach for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, former San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach Becky Hammon has had an illustrious career both on and off of the court. In 2014, following her playing career, Hammon began coaching in the NBA for the Spurs as only the second female assistant in NBA History. Since her hire Hammon has gone on to win an NBA summer league title, participate as a coach in the NBA All Star Game, and earn her way to the front of the bench for the Spurs. As a player, Hammon was a three-time All-American and 1999 Naismith Award Winner at Colorado State. From here she went on to play professionally in the WNBA and overseas for 16 years and by the end of her career, would be considered a top 20 player of all time. Her contributions to the game of basketball have been major and she acts as an outstanding role model for young women across the world. Hammon is truly a trailblazer in the industry and her impact will be felt for a very long time. 

Bill Larson - North Tartan EYBL

Bill Larson is a titan in women’s basketball as the director of North Tartan, AAU Executive Director, and a USA Basketball Committee Member. At North Tartan, Larson keeps a strong tradition alive. North Tartan EYBL is one of the strongest and longest running girls club programs in the country. They have sent well over 300 players to the next level and have been operating since 1971. Tartan is one of 32 EYBL teams and has produced athletes such as Rachel Banham. 

Bill Fennelly Iowa State

Iowa State Head Coach Bill Fennelly has been one of the most consistent and successful coaches in college basketball for over 20 years. As a member of the 600 club Fennely boasts an impressive 670-321 win/loss record. With this, his long list of accomplishments includes 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, nine conference championships, two District Five coach of the year awards, and three Gold Medals with team USA. Coach Fennelly has also produced a number of all americans in, Stacy Frese, Angie Welle, Anne O'Neil, Lyndsey Medders, Alison Lacey, Kelsey Bolte, Chelsea Poppens,Hallie Christofferson and most recently Bridget Carleton and Ashley Joens. 

Bob Corwin

Bob Corwin is considered the most knowledgeable scout in all of girls basketball. Covering thousands of girls nationally each year, Corwin hits every corner of the states and there is not a top 100 player that he has not evaluated in the past 30 years. Known as "Basketball Bob," Corwin is a grassroots legend and his impact on the women's game has been astronomical. 

Brandon Clay - Peach State Basketball

Brandon Clay is the owner of Peach State Basketball and has been actively involved in the grassroots game since 2001 after getting his start coaching high school boys and girls basketball. Since then, he’s built out a vision that includes PSB hosting  some of the top events in the country. His BrandonClayScouting.com Report has become one of the most well respected scouting services in America and his contributions to Women’s College Basketball have been major. Aside from scouting and operations, Clay also acts as the Executive Camp Director for PSB and currently sits on the McDonald's All American National Voting Committee, Naismith HS Voting Coordinator, and  Naismith College Player of the Year Committee. 

Boo Williams - Boo Williams EYBL

One of the original Godfathers of grassroots basketball, Boo Williams is still going strong. Williams has exemplified where serving your community can get you as his 64,000 square foot Boo Williams Sportsplex serves as a reminder for all the hard work he has put into the coastal Virginia communities for nearly the last 40 years. The facility is now  home to numerous events, including his infamous league that has roughly 200 teams with 2,000 different players. grassroots legend.

Brandon Clay - Peach State Basketball

Brandon Clay is the owner of Peach State Basketball and has been actively involved in the grassroots game since 2001 after getting his start coaching high school boys and girls basketball. Since then, he’s built out a vision that includes PSB hosting  some of the top events in the country. His BrandonClayScouting.com Report has become one of the most well respected scouting services in America and his contributions to Women’s College Basketball have been major. Aside from scouting and operations, Clay also acts as the Executive Camp Director for PSB and currently sits on the McDonald's All American National Voting Committee, Naismith HS Voting Coordinator, and  Naismith College Player of the Year Committee. 

Breanna Stewart - Seattle Storm

WNBA stand out, Breanna Stewart, has been dominating the competition since high school, where she won the Gatorade Player of the Year Award. During her time with UCONN, Stewart helped lead the team to four NCAA championships and was named the Final Four’s MVP all four times - an NCAA record. In 2018 she was named the WNBA’s MVP and has helped lead the storm to two WNBA championships. In 2021, Stewart was named to the W25 list as one of the top 25 players in league history. Her impact on the game has been outstanding and she continues to put on for the sport. 

Brenda Frese - Maryland

For the past 20 years Maryland Head Coach Brena Frese has been one of the top coaches in college basketball, producing an impressive 543-158 win/loss record. This stretch has included 16 NCAA Tournament Appearances, three Final Four Appearances, and one National Championship. In 2002, during her one year at Minnesota, Frese was named the AP National Coach of the year, USBWA Women’s National Coach of the Year, and Big Ten Coach of the Year. In total, She has received five conference COY awards and produced 15 “top 15” recruiting classes. To put her consistency into perspective, Frese has had only one losing season in her career, which was a rebuilding year during her first season with Maryland. 

Bryce McKey - Sports City U 

Bryce McKey has been active at nearly every level of basketball from high school and grassroots to Division I college, and now professional. With 15 plus years of experience, McKey is one of the top recruitment specialists in Ohio. As the associate head coach at Hathaway Brown, an all girls private high school, he won three Ohio State Championships in three years. After his first year at Hathaway Brown, he began coaching the nationally renowned AAU team Sports City U, which led to 5 years of collegiate coaching stops at Xavier and Maryland. McKey has been back coaching Sports City U for the past three seasons, including four players who have become McDonald’s All Americans over that time. Every player in the history of Sports City U has gone Division I (mostly power 5). Last year McKey took over the Toledo Threat as Head Coach and General Manager, a professional women’s basketball team, leading them to the tournament championship (10-1 record) following just two wins a season before. McKey is also known for his work with the Ohio Girls Basketball Report, a scouting service in Ohio which also runs individual exposure events and some of the top high school in season events in the Country. 

CANDACE PARKER - WNBA

Candace Parker has been one of the most influential and impactful people in women’s basketball for the last 15 years. In college she won two national championships with Tennessee and was named the Final Four’s MVP in both. After being drafted first overall in the 2008 WNBA draft, Parker immediately dominated the league. Parker has won WNBA championships in 2016 with the Sparks and 2021 with the Sky. Off of the court, Parker has become one of the top analysts in basketball media and continues to show her versatility within the game. 

Carla Berube - Princeton

While her playing career was highly decorated, Princeton Head Coach Carla Berube has already had a tremendous impact from the bench. Previously at Tufts, Berube went 384-96 in 17 seasons while reaching the NCAA Division III final twice, the Final Four four times, the Sweet 16 nine times, and brought in 5 DIII All-Americans. In 2015 she was awarded the Pat Summitt Trophy as the Division III National Coach of the Year and finished as a three-time regional coach of the year. In her first season at Princeton Berube coached the Tigers to a 26-1 record before being cut off by Covid and brought the program to their highest ranking in Ivy history at number 9. She has also been with USA Basketball for 3 years, winning a gold. As a player she scored 1,381 points during her career, helping the UConn Huskies to a 132-8 record and a National Championship. 

Chad Babel - MADE Hoops

Chad Babel has quickly become one of the industry leaders of grassroots basketball as the director for MADE Hoops, a Nike basketball circuit for youth teams. MADE Hoops houses some of the top middle school teams in the country and has showcased some of the best up and coming players in each region. As the CEO of MADE Hoops, Babel has been instrumental in the circuit’s expansion. Babel is someone to keep your eye on over the next decade as his influence on grassroots basketball continues to grow.

Charlaine Vivian Stringer - Rutgers

You can’t talk about women's basketball without mentioning Rutgers Head Coach Charlaine Vivian Stringer. During her almost 50 year coaching career, Stringer has won an unbelievable 71.2% of her games with a record of 1041-421. Her teams have enjoyed 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four trips to the Final Four, 10 regular season championships, a Big East Tournament Championship, and a WNIT Championship. Stringer has been awarded the Naismith College Coach of the Year award (2002), two WBCA National Coach of the Year awards (1988,1993), two Converse National Coach of the Year awards (1988, 1993), two Black Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards (1993, 1998), four conference Coach of the Year awards (1991, 1993, 1998, 2005), the NCAA Wade Trophy National Coach of the Year award (1982), and was named COY by Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and the LA Times in 1993. To complement this already impressive award list, Stringer holds two bronze, one silver and one gold medal with USA Basketball and has been inducted into both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Charli Thorne - ASU

As the winningest coach in ASU women’s basketball history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in most career wins (504), Charli Turner Thorne is one of the most decorated coaches in College Basketball and has shown amazing consistency during her career. Since 2001, Coach Thorne has reached postseason play in all by one year and has reached the NCAA tournament 14 times. To go with this, Thorne has helped lead USA Basketball to two gold medals, one during the FIBA Under 21 World Championship for Women in 2007 and another during the World University Games in 2009. In 2001 she was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year and has led her ASU team to a pair of conference championships. Thorne has remained competitive in one of the toughest conferences in America with 21 winning seasons.

Charlie Creme

Charlie Creme is one of the nation’s leading analysts in women’s college basketball and is the face for the women’s March Madness bracketology. As a “bracketologist,” Creme breaks down each game of the NCAA Tournament and looks to predict games during March Madness. Creme has been analyzing women’s basketball for years and is considered one of the most knowledgeable in the game. 

Chiney Ogumike

Chiney Ogumike is a trailblazer for women’s basketball. At just 30 years old, Ogumike has become the first Black woman to host a national ESPN radio show, and the first WNBA player to do so. Ogumike signed a multi year contract with ESPN and one of the first and youngest commentators to be named an NBA analyst covering multiple sports, while simultaneously playing in the WNBA. In college she was a stand out for Stanford, leaving as the conference scoring and rebounding leader at the time. Ogumike played in three Final Fours. As a pro she has been elected the Vice-President of the WNBA Players Association.

Chris Hansen - Elite is Earned

Chris Hansen is a man of many talents and his impact on the game can be felt nationwide as a trainer, coach, event director, and national/international scout. His Elite is Earned brand has become one of the premier outlets for girls basketball with their competitive tournaments and impressive “Check Me Out” Showcases. As a scout, Hansen is the managing editor of Prospects Nation and a top scout for JumpOffPlus.com, an international scouting service. Prior to this, from 2005-2012,  he acted as the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz. Hansen currently is a member of the McDonald's All-American Selection Committeeand the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Panel. 

Chris Mennig 

Chris Mennig is currently the National Evaluator and Event Coordinator for Blue Star Basketball, one of the nations top scouting services and elite camp operators. With 27 years of experience, Mennig is one of the most well respected grassroots evaluators in the country. During his time in the basketball industry, Mennig has coached across all levels of the game, from high school to High Major Division I, including time with Arizona State University and the University of Illinois. While at Blue Star he was named to the McDonald's All American Committee (2007), as well as an adviser to Gatorade Player of the Year/Sporting News All-American

Cori Close

On April 21, 2011, Cori Close was named The Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach. Since then she has won over 65 percent of her games with 215 wins. Close has had recent success with a top 15 ranking in 2021 and an NCAA tournament appearance. Prior to UCLA, Close spent seven seasons with Florida State, where she helped FSU become a top 30 team in the nation. As a player, Close was a four-year starting point guard at UC Santa Barbara and captained the 1992 and 1993 teams, which each advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A native of Milpitas, Calif., she was a 1993 first-team All-Big West selection and the MVP of the 1993 conference tournament

Courtney Banghart 

Considered by Fortune Magazine to be one of the world’s 50 greatest leaders, current North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart has put together an impressive career. Heading into the 2021-22 season, Banghart held a career record of 283-128, with 254 of those wins coming at her previous school Princeton. At Princeton Bangahrt led the Tigers to a 2015 30-0 regular season record and earned the Naismith Coach of the Year award. Over her 12 years at Princeton, Bangahrt reached the NCAA Tournament eight times and developed three WNBA prospects and eight overseas prospects. Banghart serves on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association and on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.

Dan Olson - Collegiate Girls Basketball Report

Daniel Olson is one of the most well respected leaders in the field of women's basketball with over 20 years of experience. As the director of ESPN HoopGurlz, the leading girls basketball ranking publication in the country, Olsen covers athletes from every state. Beginning his career in 1991 as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Barry University, he would go on to become the Sunshine State Conference Coach-of-the-Year and made Barry the first team in conference history to make the NCAA tournament. Following this, Olson once again created a team from its inception at Lynn University and saw great success as the head coach there. Following his coaching positions, Olson began Big “O” Sports Management, which focused on recruitment, development, and placement of professional mens and womens basketball players globally. During this time Olson traveled the country and reviewed players’ potential to play ball at the next level.

Dawn Staley South Carolina 

There are few Division I coaches, in both the men’s and women’s game, that have had the impact Dawn Staley has had as both a player and coach. Upon taking over in 2008, Staley has driven her South Carolina Women’s Program into the national spotlight with a win/loss record of 305-98. During her 12 years with the Gamecocks, she has made the NCAA tournament eight times (would have been nine this year), including seven Sweet 16 appearances, three Elite Eight appearances, two Final Four appearances, and a National Championship. With this, Staley holds three Olympic Gold Medals as a player for team USA and a combined 11 medals in total from coaching/playing in the World Cup, Pan American Games, and more. Before South Carolina, Staley spent eight years as the head coach for Temple, where she made the NCAA Tournament six times. Overall, Staley has earned six conference Coach of the Year awards and most recently in 2020 became the recipient of the Naismith National Coach of the Year award, WBCA National Coach of the Year award, AP National Coach of the Year award, and the USBWA National Coach of the Year award. As a player, she is considered a top 15 player of all time as a six time WNBA All Star and two time Naismith College Player of the Year. 

Debbie Antonelli - ESPN

Debbie Antonelli is one of the most recognizable faces in the women’s college basketball media. Starting her career in Ohio, Antonelli began broadcasting and doing play by play for the Ohio State women’s basketball team while getting her masters. Now, 30 years later, she acts as an analyst for ESPN, the Big Ten Network, CBS, Fox, and Westwood one. She also covers the Women’s NCAA Tournament, WNBA, and multiple other conference networks. With this, Antonelli is also the main play by play for the ABA team Indiana Fever , which she has been doing since 1996. 

Diana Taurasi - ESPN

Considered one of the best WNBA players of all time, Phoenix Mercury stand out Diana Taurasi has put together one of the most impressive careers of any athlete. At the college level, Taurasi  led her UCONN team to three NCAA National Championships, while only losing eight games during her entire college career. In the WNBA, Taurasi has won three WNBA championships, the Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, five scoring titles, and a historic five Olympic Gold Medals. In 2017, she became the WNBA’s all time leading scorer and the first to surpass 9000 points.

Dickson Jensen - All Iowa Attack

In 2004 Dickson Jensen founded the All Iowa Attack basketball program and never looked back. All Iowa Attack is one of 32 Nike EYBL Girls teams and is considered one of the top programs in the country. Since 2004 AIA has sent 204 girls to the next level, including schools such as Stanford, Iowa State, Nebraska, Duke, Illinois, Duke and many more. Jensen’s  passion and dedication to what he does have helped the program grow into one of the nation’s top clubs. It represents the desire to promote youth basketball and to establish an arena to develop leaders among the youth in the state of Iowa. Dickson Jensen is also the founder of the Jensen Group enterprise, which includes Jensen Property Management, Jensen Design Build, Jensen Development Corporation, The Harvester Club, and All Iowa Attack Basketball.

Donnie Woods - World Exposure WBB

Donnie Woods is the CEO of World Exposure Report, one of the top high school basketball scouting reports in the country. World Exposure is a one stop shot for sports and their work in the WBB world has been greatly impactful. They operate as an NCAA certified scouting service that has gained over 11 thousand followers on twitter and cover nearly every grassroots event nationwide. Woods has over 10 years of college coaching experience and has positioned himself as one of the top scouts in the country and is known for his wide range of coverage. 

Doris Burke - ESPN

Doris Burke is widely considered one of the most influential women across all of sports. During her career she has paved the way for women in sports media with her many firsts: the first woman to be a commentator for a New York Knicks game on radio and on television, the first woman to be a commentator for a Big East men’s game, and the first woman to be the primary commentator on a men’s college basketball conference package. Her energy on the NBA sideline, coupled with her amazing knowledge of the game has propelled her into one of the most well recognized faces in the sports media world. She has covered both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments and the WNBA and NBA finals. Burke’s award list includes being inducted into multiple Hall of Fames, such as the Providence College Hall of Fame, the Institute for International Sport's Scholar Athlete Hall of Fame, the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, and North Providence Hall of Fame. She also received the USA Today Rudy Award as the Best New Face in Sports Television, an honorary doctorate degree from Providence College,  Silver Anniversary Award, and the 2018 Curt Gowdy Media Award. Her contributions to the game of basketball as both a player and a media member have been astronomical. 

Doug Bruno - DePaul

Depaul’s Head Women’s Basketball Coach Doug Bruno is a member of the 700 win club club with an outstanding win/loss record. During his 35+ year career, Bruno has only had four losing seasons and has made the NCAA Tournament 24 times and the Sweet sixteen four times. With USA Basketball, Bruno has assisted in two Olympic Gold Medals, one FIBA World Championship Gold Medal, a FIBA U-19 Gold and a FIBA U-18 Gold. He has also been a very active member of the WBCA, acting as the president from 2005-2007 and for a year in 2009. All in all, Bruno is one of the winningest active coaches and continues to be a leader in the industry. 

Earl Allen - CY Fair EYBL

Earl Allen is the president of CyFair Elite Sports, which is one of the largest girls grassroots programs in the country and an EYBL competitor. CyFair has placed over 107 female athletes in top D1 Universities across the country since 2005. These schools include UCLA, UConn, Stanford, Notre Dame, University of Texas, Kentucky, Duke, Baylor, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn and Cornell and more. Since 2008 CyFair Elite Sports has had 13 athletes who were selected to Team USA, 18 McDonald All-Americans and since 2015, eight athletes have been selected for the Jordan Brand Classic game. Allen is widely respected as one of the top grassroots directors in the south and in the country. 

Elena Delle Donne

Listed to the WNBA’s W25 list, Elena Della Donne is considered one of the top WNBA players of all time. Currently playing for the Washington Mystics, Donne has earned two MVP awards, a WNBA Championship, Rookie of the Year, and a 2016 Gold Medal. After being recruited to UCONN, Della Donne decided to put her basketball career on hold and leave the school to be closer to home. After spending a year away from the game, she returned to play for Delaware and instantly picked up where she left off, averaging almost 27 points per game as a freshman. The 6’5 Small Forward is one of the best scorers in the game.

Gail Goestenkors - Kentucky & ESPN

Currently the assistant for Kentcuky, Gail Goestenkors has a decorated head coaching career that includes 13 out of 15 seasons ending with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Goestenkors led the Duke Blue Devils to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2001-2004 anf finished her time at Duke with a win percentage of .800. After Duke, She spent five seasons at Texas, winning another 102 games and reaching the tournament in each of her seasons. Goestenkors has been a pivotal part of USA Basketball, winning Olympic gold medals as the assistant coach in 2004 and 2008. She is a current member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Goestenkors was also one of the nation’s leading analysts for ESPN before returning back to coaching. 

Gary Blair - Texas A&M

With a record of 787-318, Gary Blair is one of the most decorated coaches in women’s basketball. During his 32 years as a head coach, Blair has only had one losing season and has reached the NCAA tournament 23 times, including two trips to the Final Four and a 2011 National Championship. Over his career he has earned 6 conference coach of the year awards, a Basketball Times National Coach of the Year award, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. When he took over for Texas A&M in 2004, Blair suffered his first and only losing season. From there we would go on to 15 straight postseason births (14 straight NCAA Appearances) until Covid-19 cut the 2019-2020 season short. 

Geno Auriemma - Uconn

In his 35 years as the head women’s basketball coach at UConn Geno Auriemma has become one of the greatest coaches of all time, across all sports, men’s or women’s. Every aspect of his career has been unbelievable, from his 88.5 winning percentage (1091-142) to his 11 championships. The UConn Huskies have become one of the most successful dynasties in all of sports. When you only have one losing season in 35 years (his first) the awards tend to add up. Auriemma has made the NCAA tournament 31 straight years (not including 2019-2020 Covid cancellation) and during this time has received eights Naismith Coach of the Year awards, seven WBCA National Coach of the Year awards, nine AP National Coach of the Year awards, six USBWA Coach of the Year awards and fifteen conference Coach of the Year awards. Auriemma is also a three time Olympic Gold Medalist and has been inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and received the John Wooden Legend of Coaches award. Aside from personal awards, Auriemma has also been a part of 13 multiple All-American careers and has sent some of the greatest WNBA players of all time to the W. 

George Quintero  - Storm

Over the past 35 years, George Qunitero has been dedicated to helping athletes through basketball. Beginning as a high school basketball assistant in 1985, Quintero went on to start California Storm in 1997. Since then, Storm has become one of the top girls basketball programs in the country with 14 McDonald's All American players. In 2009, California Storm partnered with WNBA Legend Diana Turasi and became the first girls program in the country to become affiliated with a professional athlete. Quintero has helped hundreds of girls get to the next level of basketball and the California Storm mark can be seen through the college game. 

James Parker - WCG Hoops/Swish 

Currently the head coach at Pacifica Christian, James Parker has over 15 years experience coaching and training athletes at all levels from youth to collegiate and professionals. As a trainer, Parker travels nationally working with elite athletes across the country.  In addition to his player skill enhancement endeavors, Parker has run one of the most successful NCAA compliant scouting services, West Coast Girls’ Hoops, since 2015. Parker has evaluated and rated over 3,000 prospective student athletes and provides reports to many top universities.  He has been able to establish meaningful relationships with top influencers, college coaches, club coaches and scouting services over the years. 

Jason Key - National Scout

Jason Key is a National Scout for PBR and a member of the McDonald’s All-American Committee. He has experience coaching hundreds of kids from the third grade level all the way up to the elite levels of high school basketball. A branch of Premier Basketball, the Premier Basketball Report is one of the top scouting services in the country for girl’s basketball. 

JC Hulls

JC Hulls has been the Event Coordinator for Adidas for the past 7 years and has helped make the Adidas circuit into one of the most exciting environments in girls basketball year in and year out. 

Jeff Walz  - Louisville

In just 13 years head coach Jeff Walz has turned the Louisville Women’s basketball program into a national powerhouse. Posting only one losing season during this time, Walz has made the NCAA tournament in 12 out of the 13 years, including three Final Four appearances. In just his second season, Walz advanced his Louisville team to the National Championship game, which was the first in program history. Prior to Louisville, Walz helped turn Maryland into a powerhouse as an assistant and won a National Championship with the team in 2006. His 360-103 win-loss record as a head coach has him on a fast track to the 600 club and he will be a hall of fame coach before it’s all said and done. 

Jill Noe - Nike EYBL

Starting with Nike Grassroots six years ago, Jill Noe is a crucial part of why the EYBL has become such a powerful force in girls basketball. Noe helps outfit and service 200+ of the top high school basketball programs around the nation during the high school season. In the Spring Noe manages 32 of the top club teams in the country with the EYBL. Through this she provides opportunities for hundreds of girls and helps athletes get recruited by some of the top universities in women’s basketball. 

Joe Fenelon  -NYG Hoops

For over 10 years Joe Fenelon has been one of the top scouts for girls basketball and has provided outstanding coverage nationwide. Starting with Rivals, Fenelon received instant positive feedback for his coverage of the game, which blossomed relationships with other top girls basketball networks such as Blue Star Basketball. Now, Fenelon runs the NYG Hoops Report, one of the top scouting services on the East Coast. His focus on local talent is refreshing and while he could cover players from everywhere, NYG Hoops Report focuses on providing exposure for those close to home. 

Joey Simmons - Premier Basketball CEO

Joey Simmons has been one of the most influential people in grassroots basketball for 40 years. Whether it be as a coach or running Premier Basketball, Simmons has impacted the lives of thousands of young athletes. As a coach, he has helped over 100 girls reach the Division I level, four of whom have ended up in the WNBA. His Texas Elite and Texas Express programs have been considered some of the top in the country and at the high school level, Simmons saw much success with Nolan Catholic. As the CEO of Premier Basketball, Simmons oversees one of the largest girls basketball event operators and one of the top scouting organizations in the country. Simmons is a McDonald's All American committee member and a regional director of Adidas Grassroots. 

John McGraw - Insider Exposure

With nearly 30 years of basketball experience John McGraw has evaluated some of the country's top talent. His career in basketball started as a student manager for John Calipari at the University of Massachusetts in the early 1990s. From there his move to NYC in 1999 and his love for basketball pushed him into the grassroots scene where he was asked to coach a budding girls team that eventually became a part of Exodus-NYC. With Exodus, McGraw started Big Apple Recruiting and the Big Apple Tournament of Champions, one of the top recruiting events on the East Coast during the mid-late 2000's. After a 3 year run as the recruiting coordinator at Marshall University, McGraw founded Insider Exposure, which features marquee exposure events like Apache Memorial, ATL Summer Slam and Hoosier Heat. IE currently runs about 25 events per year including some unique offerings like the Jr. All American Camp, the annual Final Four Pro Combine, and the Independent School National Championship.

John Tate - WPA Bruins GUAA

John Tate is the Executive Director for the WPA Bruins, a Girls Under Armour Association Program. The WPA Bruins are one of the country's top grassroots organizations and have a history of producing extremely talented players. Over the years, WPAB has seen 7 of their alumni play professionally and has helped send nearly 100 girls to the next level. Now competing on the GUAA, WPAB will continue to impact the lives of hundreds of girls. 

Jonathan Hemingway 

Jonathan Hemingway has been with Peach State Basketball since 2006 and acts as the Director of Domestic Scouting for JumpOffPlus, floor director for all PSB camps, and site director for all PSB tournaments. Over the past 14 years, Hemingway has made his mark on the college game as a high school scout, prolific scout, event operator and more. He currently serves on the National Voting Committees for the Naismith Trophy HS All-American Team. Aside from Peach State, Hemingway also operates elite basketball events under his Coach Hemingway Basketball Inc. 

Kara Lawson  - Duke 

Whether it be as a player, media member, or coach, Kara Lawson has made a tremendous impact on the game of basketball. Coached by the legendary Pat Summitt, Lawson had an electric career at Tennessee. After College she went on to win a WNBA Championship in 2005 and an Olympic Gold Medal with the Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While playing in the WNBA Lawson began her broadcasting career as a studio analyst for the Sacramento Kings. From there she worked her way into multiple NBA and WNBA broadcasting roles for ESPN and on January 12th she became the first woman to work as a nationwide broadcast analyst for an NBA game during a Pelicans vs Wizards matchup. Also in 2017, she was named the primary television game analyst for the Washington Wizards. In 2019 Lawson joined the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach. Most recently she has accepted the head coaching position for the Duke Blue Devils women's program.

Karen Weitz Centennial High School/ Las Vegas Bulldogs

There are few high school coaches who have had the career that Karen Weitz has had at Centennial. With over 600 wins she has turned Southern Las Vegas into a hotspot for girls basketball and has been dominant not only in her state, but on a national level as well. Each year the Bulldogs send multiple girls to the high major ranks and her impact can be felt in many DI conferences. On the Grassroots level, Weitz has built an impressive youth program with the Vegas Bulldogs, one that is the longest lasting program in LV. 

Kelly Graves - Oregon

Starting at the junior college ranks, Kelly Graves has become one of the most successful coaches in college basketball and has shown his unique ability to quickly turn a program around. During his 23 year DI head coaching career Graves has won over 70 percent of his games with a win/loss record of 532-215. Over this stretch his teams have appeared in 11 NCAA tournaments (would have been 12 this year) and won seven conference championships. Graves has won 10 conference coach of the year awards and has coached some of the best players in NCAA history, including Sabrina Ionescu, the only NCAA Division I basketball player to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Over his career Graves has only had three losing seasons, all of which came during the rebuilding years of his programs. He will soon become a member of the 600 club and is a future Hall of Famer. 

Kelly Sopak - Cal Stars EYBL

Since starting the Cal Stars in 2006, Kelly Sopak has turned the program into a grassroots powerhouse and has sent over 250 girls to the next level. As one of 32 EYBL teams, the Stars program has been home to some of the top players in the country and has had players in the many of the top conferences. Aside from club teams, Sopak also runs high level tournaments on the West Coast and  has had much success at Miramonte as the head high school coach. His impact on girls basketball in the West has been second to none. 

Kenneth Parnell - Kontinuous Performance/ESPN Hoopgurlz

Kenneth has spent more than 10 years contributing to women's basketball and it's culture. He has been a part of nationally recognized basketball organizations including Rose Classic, Conrad McRae Youth League, Made Hoops/Rose League, and SLAM Summer Classic. He has used his platform to build relationships with coaches at all levels to help young women in pursuing their educational and athletic dreams. As Kenneth continues to work on growing the culture and upholding the value of women's basketball he also has goals in developing was to enhance the sport through the use of technology and analytics.

Kevin Lynch - Blue Star

Over the past 20 years, Blue Star consultant and evaluator Kevin Lynch has evaluated thousands of players and has made a tremendous impact nationwide. With coaching experience across multiple levels of the game, Lynch is entrusted to evaluate and rante the nationals top high school prospects. He provides coaches in DI, DII, DIII, NAIA and JuCo women’s basketball with one of the top scouting services in the country. 

Kevin McGuff - Ohio State

Kevin McGuff was named head coach of The Ohio State University women’s basketball program on April 16, 2013, becoming the eighth coach in program history. McGuff’s 19-year head coaching career consists of nine years at Xavier University (214-73) and two years at the University of Washington (41-26) before arriving in Columbus. He holds a .698 overall winning percentage with a career mark of 426-184. McGuff is one of the rising stars in college basketball and is well on his way to becoming a member of the 600 win club. At his current rate, McGruff has a strong shot at a future national championship. 

Kim Mulkey - Baylor

Kim Mulkey’s Hall of Fame career as a coach and a player has been nothing short of amazing. Since its inception, Mulkey has been a part of the NCAA tournament every year except for two. As a coach, Her 604 -100 record puts her at an unbelievable 85 percent winning percentage and during her 20 years at Baylor, she has never missed a postseason. With this, Mulkey has never ended a season with fewer than 20 wins and is one of only three coaches with three National Championships. Also, she is the only person to have won an NCAA Championship as a player, assistant coach, and a head coach. Mulkey has won seven Big 12 COY awards, two WBCA COY awards, three USBWA COY awards, and two AP College Basketball COY awards. It is fair to say that Mulkey is one of the most decorated people in Basketball history. 

Kim Powell - Roundball Academy / Essence EYBL 

Kim Powell is one of the most influential people in the grassroots space. Her Essence Girls Basketball program has been operating for 23 years and has produced more than 250 college athletes. Of these, Essence has had 20 All-Americans, four gold medalists, 35 pros, 15 WNBA players, 150 Division I players, and 50 Power conference athletes. With Roundball Academy, Powell operates elite grassroots events in the South. 

LaChina Robinson - ESPN

LaChina Robinson is one of the most recognizable faces in women’s basketball media and is one of ESPNs top college basketball analysts. For the past 11 years Robinson has been calling college games for ESPN, Fox, and FS South. While Robinson shines in front of the camera, some of her most impressive work has been behind the scenes as a leader and advocate for women in sports. She has been a part of and led many leadership forums such as the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Females, NCAA Regional Leadership Conferences, NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference, and more. She is an amazIng role model for young women around the country and her contributions to the athletic community have been huge. 

Lisa Bluder - Iowa

With 36 years of experience and 773 wins, Lisa Bluder is one of the most successful college coaches of all time. She has made the NCAA Tournament an impressive 17 times and has only had three losing seasons. At Iowa, where she has been for the past 20 years, Bluder competed in postseason play in all but one year and has built the Hawkeyes into a top 25 contenter year in and year out. During her career she has won multiple Big Ten tournament championships, a Naismith National COY award and a gold medal from the 2001 World University Games in Beijing. A future Hall of Famer, Bluder has had a spectacular career and continues to impact the game each year. 

Liz Cambage - LA Sparks

Liz Cambage is one of the most physically gifted athletes in the WNBA standing at 6’8. After leaving the WNBA in 2013 and playing for a variety of other professional teams, Cambage rejoined the league in 2018, signing with Dallas and now LA. Cambage has been outspoken on issues such as pay in the WNBA and her success outside of the league has prompted changes within. Cambage is one of the elite scorers of the game and her style on and off of the court has been impactful.

Mark Williams - International/National Scout 

Mark Williams is PBR’s International scout and has had much success hosting and scouting camps in Australia, New Zealand, and various other countries around the world. Williams has been coaching on the grassroots level for over seven years. A branch of Premier Basketball, the Premier Basketball Report is one of the top scouting services in the country for girl’s basketball. 

Matt Shockett

Matt Shocket in a short period of time has become one of the most influential Girls Basketball Event Operators in the country. Starting in the industry in 2012 with Zero Gravity Basketball, Matt was an integral part of ZG's growth throughout the Tri-State Region (CT, NY, NJ) for five years. 

In his two years with the Adidas circuit, Matt helped recruit new top teams and players to the circuit, bringing the circuit to a whole new level. It wasn't long before Matt got his shot to start a brand new circuit and in 2018-2019 he was the predominant figure behind the launch of the Girls UAA circuit which caught the whole Girls Basketball Landscape by storm. The 2019 season was a tremendous success that featured 8 McDonald's All Americans in the 2020 class. Presently, Matt is now responsible for over 40 events annually throughout many different demographics. Matt's business Select Events runs the largest Girls Exposure Events on the East Coast as well as the Girls UAA. Matt is just getting started and will continue to be one of the hardest workers in the industry each year. I'd expect to see a lot more from him in the years to come.

Mechelle Voepel - ESPNW

One of the longest standing basketball writers in the country, Mechelle Voepel has spent nearly 30 years covering the sport. Voepel began covering the University of Missouri games in 1984 and since, she has attended twenty straight NCAA Final Fours, has joined the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and has cemented herself as one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on women’s basketball. Voepel is a writer, podcaster, interviewer, and much more for ESPN. 

Mike Barnett

Mike Barnett has been in sports marketing with Adidas since 2003 and has been instrumental in the success of Adidas on the girls grassroots stage. 

Mike Flynn 

There is nobody in the country who has been covering women’s basketball longer than Mike Flynn.  In 1981 Flynn Started Blue Star Basketball, which included a series of nationwide All-American camps, evaluation report, and newsletter for women's basketball. From here, Blue Star would go on to be the first dedicated girls basketball website in the country in 1996 and later partner with Nike in 1998. Now, Blue Star sits as the longest running girls basketball information service and is considered one of the most influential girls basketball groups in the country. Flynn was the first girls basketball editor for USA Today when they started their newspaper in 1982 and has served either as the selection chair or as a committee member on various prestigious groups such as the Gatorade Player of the Year program, the McDonald's All-America Team, and Parade Magazine. He is presently the women's college basketball contributing writer for The Sporting News, heading their Preseason College Top 20 and College Preseason All-American teams. 

Mo Motton - FBC

Mo Motton is the Director of Finest Basketball Club, which is currently apart of the Girls Under Armour Association. FBC might be the top grassroots program in the country following the 2019-2020 GUAA circuit after sending four girls to the McDonald’s All-American game and winning the GUAA FInals. They have produced athletes at Kentucky, UConn, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Texas, and many, many more. Multiple of their girls have gone on to have careers in the WNBA and represent America for Team USA.

*** Muffett McGraw - Former Coach

Former Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw is not only one of the winningest coaches of all time with a record of 936-292 (.772), but she also boasts an impressive 26 NCAA Tournament appearances, including nine Final Fours and two National Championships. Since leaving ND, McGRaw has continued to impact the game through the media. McGraw’s award list stretches far with four AP Coach of the Year awards, three Naismith Coach of the Year awards, three USBWA Coach of the Year awards, the Carol Eckman Award, and the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. McGraw is currently a member of both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Nadine Walker

Nadine Walker has spent the past 20 years dedicated to the development of girls basketball on the West Coast. Walker is the director of the West Coast Elite Girls UAA program, the only Under Armour program in CA and one of a handful on the West Coast. At SPSV, Walker has had much success and has sent many of her high school girls to the next level, including Tameiya Sadler, currently at UW. Walker and her staff look to have an outstanding year competing on the GUAA Circuit. 

Nic Levy - Wisconsin Flight Elite GUAA

Nic Levy is the founder and CEO of Wisconsin Flight Elite, a Girls Under Armour Association program. Flight Elite has become one of the most prolific grassroots programs in girls basketball. Over the past three years they have sent 21 girls to the division I level, including Iowa state, Minnesota, Penn State, Auburn, and more. In total they have helped more than 35 girls earn college scholarships over the past three years. Now a member of the GUAA, Flight Elite proved to be a contender in the circuit's first year and will continue to produce top talent for years to come. 

Nicc Jackson - EGB / WCU 3SSB

For the past 15 years Nicc Jackson has been a prominent figure in girls grassroots basketball, both as a coach, evaluator, and media member. His scouting service, Elite Girls Basketball or EGB has become one of the top services in the country and Nicc evaluates some of the top girls athletes in the nation. EGB is also responsible for some of the top girls events in the country and his focus on middle school space has helped many young athletes jump start their careers.  Nicc is also the founder of West Coast United, an Adidas 3SSB program out of Las Vegas. 

Pat Woodward

Pat Woodward currently operates the EOT Basketball events and is responsible for some of the top showcase tournaments in the country.The EOT has grown into a national showcase for girls HS basketball and has consistently been a major stop for college coaches across the country. Not only has the EOT grown into a major tournament but they have expanded to offer 10 additional events during the spring and summer grassroots seasons.

Carl Tinsley 

In the early 1980’s Carl Tinsley started the End of Trail Basketball Tournament and at the time, tournaments were not a major part of girls Summer Basketball. Fast forward 2020 and the EOT has grown into a National Showcase for girls HS basketball and has consistently been a major stop for college coaches across the country. Not only has the EOT grown into a major tournament but they have expanded to offer 10 additional events during the spring and summer grassroots seasons. Tinsley coached girls basketball for 30 years at Oregon City HS from 1973-2003, where he won 9 state titles and 3 USA Today National Championships. During this time he was named the Three Rivers Coach of the year, WBCA District 8 Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the Oregon City Hall of Fame and Portland Interscholastic Hall of Fame. 

Niele Ivey - Notre Dame

While Nicole Ivey has just received her first head coaching position, the new Notre Dame head coach has seen much success on the court. After her playing career ended in 2005 Ivey started coaching immediately as an admin assistant for Xavier. From here she was hired by legendary coach Muffett McGraw (whom she had played for years earlier) as an assistant, a position she would keep until McGraw’s retirement this year. During her time at ND as an assistant/associate head coach, Ivey helped the Fighting Irish to seven Final Four appearances and a National Championship. Ivey has never missed an NCAA tournament, both as a player and a coach. With a championship as a player and an assistant, she is now on a mission to complete the trifecta and win as a head coach. 

Nikki Fargas - Las Vegas Aces President

Current President of the Las Vegas Aces, Nikki Fargas has been a staple in women’s basketball. Prior to her current position, Faras was a head coach for the LSU Tigers and prior to that, a head coach forUCLA. Fargas has a record of 249-155 as a head coach. Outside of coaching, she has made an impact in the media world as the color analyst for Fox Sports Net South. Now operating one of the top teams in the WNBA, Fargas’s impact can be felt through the entirety of women’s basketball.

Nneka Ogumike - Los Angeles Sparks

Noelle Quinn - Seattle Storm 

Current head coach of the Seattle Storm, Noelle Quinn, has had an astounding impact on women's basketball, especially on the West Coast. Quinn was a four time state champion for Bishop Montgomery (CA) before heading to UCLA. In college she averaged 17 points per game en route to being drafted in the 2007 WNBA draft, After her playing career, Quinn began coaching professionally and also coached for her high school alma mater. As a first year head coach in the W, Noelle's impact will be felt for years to come. 

Prentice Beverly - BallnPrep & Blue Star

Prentice Beverly is a National Evaluator for Blue Star Media and the owner of BallN PrepGirls. He also works for Girl Powher Showcases, Schollyme.com and is the Author of “Navigating the Maze” a grassroots reference guide to women’s college basketball recruiting. Beverly has spent 15 years coaching high school and club basketball and resides in Los Angeles, CA and has been a top media member for girls grassroots basketball. 

Rebecca Lobo 

As a player, Rebecca Lobo had a remarkable career winning an NCAA National Championship with UCONN in 1995 before becoming a WNBA All Star in 1999. Since retiring as a player, Lobo has become one of ESPN's top college basketball analysts and reporters, covering live basketball events and studio shows year round. Lobo had her jersey retired by UCONN to honor her achievements as part of the 35-0 championship team. 

Ray Caldwell San Antonio's Finest 3SSB

SA FInest Founder Ray Caldwell has had experience coaching at every level of the game from youth to high major DI and professional training. On the girls side, SA Finest (now an Adidas 3SSB program) has produced 5 All-Americans in Recee’ Caldwell, Amber Ramierez, Kiana Willaims, NaLyssa Smith, and Nyah Green. Since 2013, SAF has sent nearly 100 girls to the college level and they have shown to be a national powerhouse in grassroots basketball. 

Renee Montgomery - Atlanta Dream

Currently the vice-president and co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, former WNBA Champion Renee Montomery is a titan in women’s basketball. As a player, Montgomery helped lead the UCONN Huskies to a 39-0 season that ended with a national championship. As a pro, she won two WNBA Championships and made the 2011 All Star Game. Montgomery has been a highly recognized face in women’s basketball for years and now she is one of the up and coming front office professionals in sports.

Ron James - Team Takeover EYBL

Ron James is the director for the girls Team Takeover girls program. Originally known for their prolific boys program, James has built the girls side into one of the best grassroots programs in the country. Most recently winning the Girls EYBL, Team Takeover is producing some of the most talented players nationally and has been a force in HS basketball. 

Russ Davis - Cal Swish/Vanguard 

Russ Davis is one of the winningest coaches in NAIA women's basketball and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2017. Davis has an 80 percent winning percentage at Vanguard and has been to the NAIA National Tournament 19 times, winning the whole thing in 2008. Aside from being the head coach at Vanguard, Davis has also helped build the Cal Swish EYBL program into a nationally recognized grassroots organization. His Cal Swish program has produced 10 High School All-Americans and sent hundreds of girls to the college level, including 11 players drafted to the WNBA. 

Scott Johnson - WV Thunder GUAA

Scott Johnson is the director of the West Virginia Thunder grassroots basketball program. WV Thunder is one of the top grassroots organizations in the country with girls across all levels of college basketball. Johnson has been a part of WV Thunder for the last 15 years and continues to show that he is one of the leaders in girls grassroots basketball. 

achievements  

Shane Laflin - Director

Shane Laflin is currently the director of PBR and a national scout for the organization. He has experience at multiple levels of college basketball and is currently a member of the McDonald's All-American Committee and Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors. A branch of Premier Basketball, the Premier Basketball Report is one of the top scouting services in the country for girl’s basketball

Skylar Diggins-Smith - Phoenix Mercury 

Since high school Skylar Diggins-Smith has been one of the top athletes in the country. As a college stand out for Notre Dame, Diggins-Smith won two national championships before being drafted to the WNBA in 2013. Diggins-Smith has an impressive resume with five all star appearances, a Most Improved award, and three all WNBA first team. Diggins-Smith recently joined the Phoenix Mercury in 2020. In 2013, she became the first female athlete to sign with Roc Nation. 

Steve Klees 

NW Blazers director Steve Klees has been one of the top grassroots directors in the country for years and has helped hundreds of players earn scholarships at the next level. Klees and his NW Blazers compete on the GUAA Circuit and have formed the best teams to come out of the west coast. Klees operates out of Eastern Washington and helps players from the tri-state area. 

Steve Kozaki

Steve Kozaki is the director of TOC and has been one of the most influential people in grassroots events for years. 

Sue Bird - Seattle Storm

Sue Bird has become one of the most recognizable faces in all of women’s basketball and is considered one of the best players in WNBA history. In college, Bird helped lead UCONN to two National Championships before being drafted to the WNBA. Bird has won an astounding four WNBA Championships and five Olympic gold medals during her time as a pro. Her career awards are as long as they come and she has cemented herself as an all time great.

Sue Philips Archbishop Mitty/ San Jose Cagers

During her 26 year career Sue Phillips has become one of the top high school coaches in the country. Her impressive resume at Archbishop Mitty includes 668 wins, 23 league titles, 20 Central Coast Section titles, 12 Northern California titles, 6 CIF State Championships and the 2018 National Championship. Also in 2018, Phillips was named the Naismith & WBCA National Coach of the Year. Phillips has also made an impact at the national level with USA Basketball, acting as the head coach for the U17 team. She has won two gold medals with Team USA, one during the 2013 FIBA Americas and the other at the 2014 World Championships.

Tara VanDerveer - Stanford

Stanford’s Hall of Fame head women’s basketball coach Tara Vanderver is one of the most decorated coaches in all of basketball. During her 42 year career as a college coach, VanDerveer has won an astonishing 1094 games with only 253 losses. VanDerveer has coached in every NCAA tournament except for two, adding up to 34 trips, 12 Final Fours, and two National Championships. At Stanford, where she has spent most of her career, VanDerveer has won 25 Pac-12 Championships and been named the National Coach of the Year four times. In 2014 she received the John Wooden Legend of Coaches Award and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. For Team USA, VanDerveer coached and won the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and won two other gold medals during the 1994 Goodwill games and the 1991 World University Games. There are 21 coaches (past and present) who are a part of VanderVeer’s coaching tree, including names just as Charli Tuner-Thorne and Charmin Smith. 

Terri Bamford La Jolla Country Day/ San Diego Waves GUAA

Four time state champion, Teri Bamford, has turned La Jolla Country Day School’s Women’s Basketball program into a national perennial power. During her time there, Bamford has won 533 games, 15 league titles, and 15 San Diego Section CIF titles. Before the season ended due to Covid, LJCDS was looking to make a state championship and national title run. From a player standpoint Bamford has sent over 40 girls to the Division I level, including three All-Americans in Candace Wiggins, Kelsey Plum, and Te-Hina PaoPao. Plum and Wiggins would go on to become two of the most successful college players of all time and WNBA stars. Bamford has been the recipient of many Coach of the Year awards including the 2020 Jersey Mike's Naismith Coach of the Year and the Pat Summitt Trophy. In the Grassroots world, Bamford runs the highly competitive San Diego Waves, A GUAA program. 

Thomas Davis - Exodus EYBL

Thomas Davis is the Program Director for Exodus Basketball. Established in 1998, Exodus has become one of the top grassroots programs in the country. They have sent over 200 players to the college level, including three pros in the WNBA: Epiphanny Prince, Kia Vaughn, and Samantha Prahalis. Exodus is currently one of 32 teams competing in the EYBL. 

Tom Insell - NEB / TN Flight EYBL

Tom Insell is the CEO of Tennessee Flight, one of the nation's top girls basketball grassroots programs. TN Flight has sent over 400 girls to play basketball at the next level, including 15 future pros. Some notable names to come out of TN Flight are Schacobia Barbee, LaSondra Barrett, Crystal Dangerfield, Kaela Davis, Stefanie Dolson, Victoria Dunlap, Bashaara Graves, Isabelle Harrison, Jasmine Hassell, Jasmine James, Ariel Massengale, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Natalie Novosel, and Bianca Thomas. 

Tony Dorado  - Nike

Tony has worked at Nike, Inc in Beaverton, OR for the past 25 years as the National lManager of High School Basketball overseeing all the sponsorships and relationships of

the country’s top high school basketball programs and tournaments. Prior to joining Nike, he was a head basketball coach for 11 years at high schools in California and Oregon. As a coach, Tony left Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California as the winningest boys’ basketball coach in the school’s history and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2015. Tony has been a featured speaker at basketball camps in the U.S. as well as camps in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Japan and Mozambique. In addition to his day job, in 2003 he founded Lay-Ups, a non-competitive, introductory basketball league for K-2nd graders. For the past 17 years, Lay-Ups has provided an opportunity for over 15,000 kids to learn the game while exercising and having fun.

Tucker Neale - Ohio Basketball

Tucker Neale is the founder of Ohio Basketball, one of the nations top youth basketball event operators. Ohio Basketball serves more than 75,000 athletes and over 5000 teams each year. With this Neale has also operated his grassroots program, Score More Athletic Club, which has sent hundreds of players (both boys and girls) to the next level, including close to 50 pros. 

Vanessa Nygaard  - Phoenix Mercury

Now the head coach for the WNBA’s Vanessa Nygaard has made her mark at every level of the game as a prolific player and now successful coach. Currently the head coach at Windward, Nygaard has become one of the quickest coaches in CA history to reach 200 wins and she most recently grabbed the 2019-2020 Coach of the Year award. Nygaard is also very involved with USA Basketball, serving as the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s U17 World Cup Team that won a gold medal and earned a 7-0 record at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup this past summer in Belarus. As a player, Nygaard helped Stanford to three Final Four appearances and lost only 14 games in total. From here she went on to play six seasons in the WNBA. Nygaard is one of the top rising coaches in America. 

YOLETT McPhee-Mcuinn- OLE MISS

Kameo Williams - Gems in the Gym

Kameo Williams has been one of the leading media members, evaluators, and camp directors in girls basketball for years. Williams operates a highly viewed NCAA scouting service, is CEO of Gems in the Gym and co hosts ballngems. Williams is a Baden AA/POY committee member and has amassed a large following on socials.