Courtney Paris, a WNBA veteran who led the league in rebounds for two seasons, is joining head coach Tyler Marsh’s staff on the Chicago Sky. As an assistant coach, Paris will have the opportunity to work closely with a young core headlined by Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso will be coached by former WNBA rebounding leader in Chicago
The Chicago Sky have hired a new assistant coach: 11-year WNBA veteran Courtney Paris, who will join Tyler Marsh’s coaching staff.
Photo by Joshua Huston/NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
It is fitting that Paris, one of the sport’s prolific rebounders, will join the sidelines in Chicago, where Reese broke a slew of rebounding records during her rookie campaign.
Reese produced one of the best rebounding seasons ever recorded in WNBA history, averaging 13.1 boards per night, the highest per-game average of all time. She also grabbed more offensive rebounds (172) than any player in league history and became the first player to ever record 20-plus rebounds in consecutive games.
Paris, meanwhile, holds the NCAA record for most consecutive double-doubles (112) and led the WNBA in rebounds in 2014 and 2015. She is the only player in NCAA history to record 700 points, 500 rebounds, and 100 blocks in a single season — a feat she accomplished twice in her career at Oklahoma.
Now, she’ll get to work directly with this generation’s top talents.
“Having immense respect for the players — both from competing against them and through my coaching journey — I am committed to being a resource for them, not only on the court but also in their growth off the court,” Paris said. “Our shared goals and dedication drive my excitement to contribute to this team’s success. I can’t wait to get to work!”
This won’t be Courtney Paris’s first time on the sidelines.
After an 11-year playing career, which included stints with the Tulsa Shock, Dallas Wings, and Seattle Storm, she became an assistant coach, most recently working under the Wings’ Latricia Trammell.
Trammell was fired this fall, and while the Wings search for a new head coach, Paris is joining forces with Marsh, who was recently hired to lead the Sky. She’s the first assistant coach hire on Marsh’s new staff.
“We are extremely excited to have Courtney join our staff here in Chicago,” Marsh said. “She brings a decade of WNBA experience as a player and as a coach that will surely benefit our players. She will be an invaluable resource and mentor here and we cannot wait to have her on our team.”
See More:
