WBCA announces 'So You Want To Be A Coach' class of 2016
ATLANTA (March 1, 2016) – The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) is pleased to announce the class for the 14th annual WBCA’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program. Each member will participate in the three-day workshop held April 1-3, 2016, in conjunction with the WBCA Convention in Indianapolis.
The objectives of the “So” program are to increase the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women’s basketball, increase the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching, introduce female basketball players to coaches and administrators, and raise awareness of the existing talent pool of female basketball players who have a passion and interest in coaching the game of women’s basketball.
"The interest in the ‘So You Want To Be A Coach' program has been very strong this year, and we are excited to continue equipping and guiding so many young, aspiring coaches," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "Each year, the WBCA family reinforces this important entry-level program and we expect to see these student-athletes develop into great leaders and ambassadors for the game of women's basketball."
Listed below is the 2016 class for the WBCA’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program:
| Candidate | School | Candidate | School |
| Kelsey Adamski | Kalamazoo | Moran Lonning | Luther College |
| Dawnyelle Awa | Washington State | Paige Love | North Carolina-Asheville |
| Shatorria Baker | Lynn | Janae Lyde | North Alabama |
| Mistie Bass | Connecticut Sun (WNBA) | Miranda Maples | Eastern Kentucky |
| Ryann Bowser | Texas Tech | Bryahna Mason | North Carolina-Greensboro |
| Briana Bradford | New Haven | Josepha Mbouma | Elon |
| Briona Brown | Jacksonville | Sierra McDuffie | Felician College |
| RaShawn Calvert | Siena Heights | Katie Meador | Florida Gulf Coast |
| Kara Carlson | Concordia University (Mich.) | Tayra Melendez | Rhode Island |
| Shelbi Chandler | Cincinnati | Tiahana Mills | Canisius College |
| Ausha Cole | Montana State-Bozeman | Brene Moseley | Maryland |
| Alyssa Colla | Northern Michigan | Sydney Moss | Thomas More |
| Karlee Corvasce | Moravian College | Sadie Murren | Wayne State (Neb.) |
| Empress Davenport | Texas | Colleen O’Connell | Vassar College |
| Alexa Dawkins | Montana State-Bozeman | Chirrisse Bryce Owens | New Mexico |
| Imani Dixon | University of Saint Mary | Allison Paluchniak | Trinity Christian College |
| Emma Donahue | Drake | Chloe Pavlech | Maryland |
| Asia Dozier | South Carolina | Dana Peterson | Cabrini College |
| Chinwe Duru | Tulane | Ki-Ke Rafiu | Georgetown |
| Elizabeth Ferry | Maine-Farmington | Nicole Razor | Elon |
| Stephanie Fisher | Lake Superior State University | Mercedes Riggs | Duke |
| Aisha Foy | Radford | Lakin Roland | Dartmouth |
| Simonne Gage | Capital | Kelcie Rombach | St. Bonaventure |
| Irene Gari | Georgia Tech | Alison Sanders | Southeastern |
| Samantha Goldsmith | Lynchburg College | Tia Scott | Merrimack College |
| Natalie Greenwell | Morehead State | Lindsay Smith | Saint Ambrose |
| Kayleigh Guzek | Stevenson | Ashley Southern | Lipscomb |
| Lauren Hayden | University of New England | Kristina Startare | Cabrini College |
| Jordan Hiatt | Lenoir-Rhyne | Courtney Strain | Jacksonville State |
| Amber Howell | Armstrong State | Jordyn Swan | Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| Chanise Jenkins | DePaul | Ataijah Taylor | Wake Forest |
| Erika Johnson | North Carolina | Brianna Taylor | Towson |
| Tierra Jones | Tulane | Brooklyn Taylor | Saint Francis |
| Miriam Justinger | Bowling Green | Jacquelyn Thompson | Montevallo |
| Kailey Kladivo | Wartburg | Aminah Williams | Washington |
| Alexis Lawrence | Missouri-St. Louis | April Wilsom | Purdue |
| Marion Lemonnier | West Georgia | Whitney Wyckoff | Yale |
| Lisa Loeffler | South Dakota |
“So” participants will learn about recruiting, the administrative side to coaching, how to get hired, skill development, the importance of knowing the rules, and how to balance work and life.
Qualified candidates must have exhausted their final year of basketball eligibility at a four-year institution or have graduated within the past year. In addition, the candidate’s head coach has to nominate them and must be an active WBCA member. Each participant is selected based on her academics, contributions to women’s basketball on and off the court, professional resume and a written recommendation from her head coach.
Sponsors for the “So” program are the WBCA and a grant provided by the NCAA.
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About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.