Atlanta, Ga. – Jan. 16, 2024 – South Florida women's basketball graduate guard
Sammie Puisis has been named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 22
nd "So You Want To Be A Coach" program. Puisis will participate in the two-day workshop on April 3 and 4 during the WBCA Convention in Tampa, Fla.
The "So" program increases the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women's basketball, increases the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching, introduces female basketball players to coaches and administrators, and raises 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 WBCA community of coaches each year invests in young, aspiring coaches through the 'So You Want To Be A Coach' program," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "We have high expectations for these graduating student-athletes and the future contributions they will make to the game of women's basketball."
Here are the members of the 2025 "So You Want To Be A Coach" program class:
| Name |
Institution |
| Iycez Adams |
Elon University |
| Sydney Affolter |
University of Iowa |
| Alyssa Andrews |
Wake Forest University |
| Sarah Ashlee Barker |
University of Alabama |
| Emma Boslet |
Saint Joseph's University |
| Kloe Bowin |
Tabor College |
| Deannah Buckner |
California State University-San Bernardino |
| Kalaya Buggs |
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona |
| Kennedy Calhoun |
Saint Louis University |
| Marina Callahan |
Assumption University |
| Reagan Cameron |
Converse University |
| Dominique Camp |
Syracuse University |
| Gabbi Cartagena |
University of New Orleans |
| Abigail Conklin |
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan |
| Layken Cox |
University of Memphis |
| Payton Cronen |
Wittenberg University |
| Cheyanne Daniels |
Southeastern Louisiana University |
| Deja Davis |
Minnesota State University-Moorhead |
| Kaedre Denson |
University of West Alabama |
| Leah Earnest |
Valparaiso University |
| Audra Emmerson |
Purdue University-Fort Wayne |
| Mone Florence |
Augusta University |
| Kendall Folley |
East Tennessee State University |
| Jayde Gamble |
University of North Carolina-Greensboro |
| Nangely Garcia |
University of Toledo |
| Sofia Genareo |
Allegheny College |
| Zaida Gonzalez |
Stony Brook University |
| Jalynn Gregory |
Middle Tennessee State University |
| Zairea Hannah |
SUNY at Brockport |
| Hailey Hohenecker |
Chicago State University |
| Elizabeth Homan |
Ohio Wesleyan University |
| Madeline Huffman |
Fairmont State University |
| J'Mani Ingram |
Appalachian State University |
| Destyne Jackson |
University of Memphis |
| Emani Jefferson |
Florida Gulf Coast University |
| Aubrey Joens |
University of Oklahoma |
| Briana Johns |
Saint Louis University |
| Janelle Jones |
University of South Alabama |
| Tamia Jones |
Wake Forest University |
| Paige Kindseth |
Presbyterian College |
| Chelby Koker |
Northern Illinois University |
| Jasmine Kondrakiewicz |
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay |
| Hanna Malik |
Emory University |
| Alexis Markowski |
University of Nebraska |
| Katelynn Martin |
Montana State University-Bozeman |
| Kendall McGruder |
Fairfield University |
| Colleen McQuillen |
Lehigh University |
| Paige Meyer |
South Dakota State University |
| Lindsay Moore |
Agnes Scott College |
| Esmeralda Morales |
Montana State University-Bozeman |
| Angelline Nageak |
Adams State University |
| Da'Veonna Nash |
University of Mount Union |
| Brenna Ortwein |
Millersville University of Pennsylvania |
| Liliana Overcash |
McDaniel College |
| Mikayla Paquette |
Tufts University |
| Sherese Pittman |
Tulane University |
| Sammie Puisis |
University of South Florida |
| Audra Putman |
Birmingham-Southern College |
| Olivia Rockwood |
University of Maine |
| Tarryn Ross |
California State University-San Bernardino |
| Gabbi San Diego |
Christopher Newport University |
| Samantha Schaeffer |
University of Wisconsin-Stout |
| Liz Scott |
University of Oklahoma |
| Sam Scott |
Central College |
| Adriana Shipp-Davis |
Radford University |
| Alasia Smith |
University of Memphis |
| Amber Souffrant |
Bryn Athyn College |
| Jewel Spear |
University of Tennessee |
| Helen Staley |
Upper Iowa University |
| Brooke Stonebraker |
Northern Illinois University |
| Caroline Strande |
Butler University |
| Lauryn Taylor |
Florida Gulf Coast University |
| Isabel Tillett |
Saint Louis University |
| Makenzie Todd |
Northwood University |
| Skylar Vann |
University of Oklahoma |
| Taleah Washington |
Wagner College |
| Elaina Watson |
Adams State University |
| Cyleigh Wilson |
Elizabethtown College |
| Alexis Woods |
Bridgewater College |
| Ally Yamada |
Smith College |
"So" participants will learn about the administrative side of coaching, recruiting, 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 and must be nominated by their WBCA-member head coach. 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 their head coach.
Visit WBCA.org for more information on the "So" program.
The WBCA has contributed to this release.
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 coaches to those 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.
ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
South Florida women's basketball has made 18 postseason tournament appearances and had nine NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 25 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided the Bulls to 11 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2008-09 WNIT championship, has won over 450 career games, and is the all-time wins leader in the American Athletic Conference.
For complete coverage of USF women's basketball, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
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#GoBulls –
