PHOENIX -- As Phoenix Mercury president Vince Kozar walked toward the security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport the morning of Jan. 5, the masked agent checking IDs and boarding passes looked familiar. Shoots: She returned to the WNBA as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Silver Stars (2008) and helped guide the franchise to its only Finals appearance. During the WNBA off-season, she played in professional basketball leagues in Europe, including Germany (2001), Spain (1999) and Italy (1998). The Mercury will be hosting a press conference with general manager Jim Pitman to announce Nygaard as the teams new head coach on Monday at 4:30 p.m. Nygaard has never been a head coach in the WNBA before. But in reality, Pitman said, it was already down to two, and they knew who they wanted to offer the job to over the next 24 hours. She returned to the west coast in 2009 as the assistant girls coach at Windward School in Los Angeles. Tonya Holley is a 17-year veteran of the WNBA who worked for the Aces during their inaugural season as the teams director of business operations. Griner made a strong case for MVP during the 2021 season and certainly wouldve won Finals MVP had Phoenix won the championship. Eight years is a long time to be with one group of people. She is 47 years old. When collegiate programs rejected her as a head coach, Vanessa Nygaard took an unconventional path at the high school level to become a head coach. "It was long enough to really get a flavor for what their basketball knowledge is, what they're all about as a person and how they could help make the Mercury a better basketball team," Pitman said. "The players are more a part of it than in any other league, the coaches, and that means access for my staff.". Nygaard was selected by the New York Liberty in the fourth round (39th overall pick) of the 1998 WNBA Draft. Nygaard took over as head coach of the girls' basketball team at Windward School in 2012-13. Partner Insights (Sponsored Content) Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard is worried that Brittney Griners imprisonment has taken a backseat to basketball and box scores. Next will be to build her staff and handle free agency and the draft. One of her brothers recently moved to Tucson. While her best statistical season came in 2000 with Portland, perhaps the most impactful stint was in Miami where then-Sol head coach Ron Rothstein saw a future coach in Nygaard and encouraged her to pursue it as a career. From a young age, so many players, even in the W, have never been coached by a woman, and until you see a female coach or you play for a female coach, you don't think that that's a job that you would have.". The As her drive to the airport on Monday continued, she said to her son that the GOAT takes care of herself. It was redesigned by Max Wexler and Chris Pitman in the 1990s and again by general manager Andrew Johnston in 2015. Presently, she works for the Phoenix Mercury Vanessa was born to her parents in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. Its safe to say that most of Nygaards tenure will be without Taurasi as a part of the team. MexicosLorena Ochoa, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017, won the inaugural Womens World Championship in 2008. In addition, Tonya Holley, who served as the Aces director of business operations during their first season in Las Vegas, is rejoining the team as its director of basketball operations. Our site uses cookies. Sometimes that means allowing cameras in the locker room after a big win, he said, or the flexibility to move a practice time because season-ticket holders were promised an open practice. 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Search instead in Creative? She is now the head coach of the New York Liberty. 1 Jin Young Ko kicked off her 2022 season with a victory in Singapore, carding a 6-under66 in the final round to finish at 17-under 271 and winning by two strokes over Minjee Lee and In Gee Chun. After graduating from Stanford, Nygaard began her six-year career in the WNBA. One of Nygaard's first priorities as the Mercury's coach was to connect with all her players, most of whom are playing internationally. You just take the lemon and wash your mouth with it; its not like an orange, that you eat it and feel heavy. Pitman saw it as an advantage. The hires didn't impact Phoenix's search. Beyond that, she is committed to growing the womens game on and off the floor in Phoenix and wants to be a part of the Valley basketball community yearround. American basketball coach and former player, "MERCURY NAMES VANESSA NYGAARD HEAD COACH", Pepperdine University coaches profile and interview, April 27, 2005 Houston Comets press release of Nygaard's retirement from the WNBA, January 6, 2009 Washington Mystics press release of Nygaard's joining the coaching staff, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vanessa_Nygaard&oldid=1141742959, Basketball players from Scottsdale, Arizona, Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball), Pepperdine Waves women's basketball coaches, Stanford Cardinal women's basketball players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 15:36. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. She was also previously an assistant coach with the San Antonio Stars in 2008 and the Washington Mystics in 2009. He then drove each to the Mercury's new practice facility, located about 10 miles northwest of the arena. Forward Her coaching career began while still an active WNBA player as an assistant at Long Beach State University (2003), and then the following season at Pepperdine University (2004). A four-person panel would interview each finalist: Suns general manager James Jones, senior vice president for people and culture Kim Corbitt, Kozar and Pitman. A native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, Holley earned her bachelors degree in sports medicine from St. Andrews Presbyterian College where she played softball and basketball before graduating in 1997. You can watch the 2023 HSBC Womens World Championship on Golf Channel, Peacock,NBCSports.comand the NBC Sports app. "It left my candidates on the table," Pitman said. There are a lot of aspects of the Mercurys 2022 season that will be totally out of Nygaards control, including whether or not Nurse plays next year, Phoenixs lack of draft picks and much more. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. The Athletic first reported the move on Friday. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. 39 overall) of the 1998 Draft, but injuries prevented the 6-1 forward from playing that season. Vanessa is a great teacher of the game, with coaching experience at all levels including the WNBA and internationally with USA Basketball said Laimbeer. Making her tournament debut is American Lilia Vu, who becamethe first Rolex First-Time Winner of 2023last week at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Because of all she'd bring to the Mercury as a coach, leader and communicator, Nygaard started to emerge as a front-runner. Nygaard will replace Sandy Brondello, who coached Phoenix for eight seasons before the two sides parted ways. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the NBA.com, ACES ABROAD: Domestic League Update (Feb. 14-20, 2023), Aces Re-Sign Seven-Year Veteran Center And WNBA Champion Kiah Stokes, Aces Re-Sign Eight-Year Veteran Guard And WNBA Champion Sydney Colson. The narrowing to four candidates took place over the holidays, and Pitman scheduled interviews for the first week of January. At the start of the 2021 WNBA season, only four WNBA teams were led by women (including just one former player). Phoenix Mercury General Manager Jim Pitman (left) said he is excited about new coach Vanessa Nygaards ability to build relationships and communicate with Jones, who was part of the coaching search that led to the Suns hiring Monty Williams in 2019, said it didn't take long for Nygaard to stand out. She spent the 2012-13 offseason in Russia working with the Spartak V MR basketball team that employed WNBA players Becky Hammon, Seimone Augustus and Candice Dupree. After lunch, the candidates met with Kozar in his office, where he emphasized his desire for a mutually beneficial relationship between the basketball and business side of the Mercury. Davis. She currently serves as the head coach for the Phoenix Mercury. Also, she works at Windward School in Los Angeles as the girls basketball head coach. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; PHOENIX -- During the car ride from her home in Ladera Heights, California, to the airport for her flight to Arizona to be introduced as the Phoenix Mercury's head coach, Vanessa Nygaard's 9-year-old son wished her luck and then told her she was the shepherd. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the NBA.com. WebVanessa Nygaard (born March 13, 1975 in Scottsdale, Arizona) is a former professional basketball player and a collegiate assistant coach. "We felt like we couldn't make a bad decision," Pitman said. 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