Aces hire ex-WNBA player Tanisha Wright as assistant coach

Wright, 36, completes theteam’s coaching staff for the season alongside head coach Bill Laimbeer and assistant Vickie Johnson.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity I have to continue my coaching career and learn from two of the best in the business in Coach Laimbeer and Coach Johnson,” Wright said in a statement. “I hope that my experience and knowledge of the game will be a strong resource in my new position with the Aces.”

Wright played 14 years in the WNBA, averaging 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Seattle Storm, New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. The 5-foot-11-inch guard was selected seven times to the league’s all-defensive team, earning first-team honors five times and second-team honors twice. She was drafted No. 12 overall in 2005 and played her first 10 seasons with Seattle, winning a championship in 2010.

She played in 2015 and 2016 under Laimbeer with the Liberty and concluded her career in 2019 for New York, starting 17 games and averaging 4.7 points and 4.1 assists.

Wright coached collegiately for three years at Charlotte, helping the 49ers earn a Women’s National Invitation Tournament berth in 2018-19. She replaces former Aces assistant Kelly Raimon, who was not retained during the offseason and is now an assistant for the Liberty.

“Tanisha was the ultimate competitor as a player, and I was fortunate to have her in New York,” Laimbeer said in a statement. “She prepared herself and her teammates both physically and mentally for every game, and I expect her to take that same approach as she transitions to a full-time coaching career.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.