ATLANTA (March 26, 2025) — The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the winners of the 2025 WBCA Assistant Coaches of the Year awards presented by Aflac, a leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.
The WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year award honors one associate head coach or assistant coach in each membership division who exemplifies dedication to their program, student-athletes and head coach. It recognizes their impact on the court, mentorship of fellow coaches and professionalism. For the third year, Aflac will proudly present the award at the WBCA Convention.
The 2025 WBCA Assistant Coaches of the Year are:
| DIVISION | COACH | INSTITUTION |
| NCAA Division I | Tony Newnan | University of California, Los Angeles |
| NCAA Division II | Philip Sayers | Grand Valley State University |
| NCAA Division III | Nettie Respondek | New York University |
| NAIA | Jessica Garriga | William Carey University |
| Two-Year College | Marija Pacar | Odessa College |
| High School | Kayla Refner | Seton Catholic Preparatory High School |
“The role of an assistant coach is vital in reinforcing a positive student-athlete environment with encouragement, excellence, structure, security, support and integrity. The WBCA is proud to honor these individuals as our assistant coaches of the year in their respective divisions of membership,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Each coach was selected by vote of their peers, and the WBCA celebrates and applauds their lasting commitment to use our game as a platform to positively impact their student-athletes, institutions and communities. We thank Aflac for its sponsorship of the Assistant Coach of the Year awards and its continuing support of the WBCA and the sport of women’s basketball.”
Aflac continues to support and recognize the next generation of assistant coaches by sponsoring the WBCA and the Assistant Coaches of the Year awards. For the third consecutive year, Aflac will cover travel expenses for the award winners to attend the 2025 WBCA Convention in Tampa, Florida, where they will be honored during the opening session on April 3.
“Aflac is proud to support the WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year awards and honor the assistant coaches who help their student-athletes on and off the court,” said Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Garth Knutson. “Just as these coaches provide critical support to their teams, Aflac helps close the financial gap that health insurance doesn’t cover. We remain committed to recognizing their impact and helping advance the future of women’s sports.”
In recognition of these coaches and the WBCA’s commitment to community engagement, Aflac will give $5,000 in each coach’s name to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, totaling $30,000. Named after former North Carolina State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow, the nonprofit funds innovative efforts to fight cancers affecting women while providing strength, courage and hope. To date, Aflac has contributed more than $100,000 to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to support its mission.
In addition, Aflac and 25-45 WBCA coaches will host a basketball skills clinic on April 2 in Tampa, coinciding with the annual WBCA Convention. The clinic will provide 200 young female athletes in grades 5-8 with valuable coaching, mentorship and skill development opportunities.
Visit WBCA.org/awards/ to see a list of past recipients of the award.
ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024) and Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2024) for 11 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/español. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under “Sustainability.”
1 LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report
Media contact: Adrienne Bentley, abentley@aflac.com
Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com
About the WBCA
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
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