Dallas Wings head coach Latricia Trammell on Monday, January 9, introduced the hiring of assistant coach April Schilling and Courtney Paris, in addition to participant improvement coach Zach Poncic. Trammell beforehand introduced the addition of Assistant Coach Brandi Paul to its employees.
Schilling most lately served as the top coach at Bella Vista School Prep, in Scottsdale, Arizona, whereas additionally serving as a complicated scout for the Minnesota Lynx. In 2021, she was a member of the teaching employees of the Nigerian Olympic basketball staff. In 2020, she made her WNBA debut as an assistant coach with the Indiana Fever.
Previous to becoming a member of the skilled ranks, Schilling held numerous teaching and participant improvement roles, working with highschool and collegiate gamers and packages. She started her profession as an assistant on the College of California, Santa Barbara from 2004 to 2008.
As a participant, Schilling spent three seasons (1999-2002), beneath legendary coach Pat Summitt on the College of Tennessee and helped the staff advance to 3 Candy 16s and two Closing Fours. In her remaining season, Schilling transferred to UCSB the place she led this system to its first Candy 16 look in program historical past. As knowledgeable, Schilling has frolicked with three WNBA groups, particularly the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Washington Mystics.
“I’ve at all times admired April’s relentless drive to educate and educate the sport of basketball,” Trammell stated. “She has expertise in any respect ranges of basketball and is an elite coach in the case of the Xs and Os of the sport. She is going to carry great insights to our staff and I’m thrilled to welcome her to Dallas.”
A ten-year WNBA veteran, Paris had stints as a participant with the Tulsa Shock and Dallas Wings, and completed her profession with the Seattle Storm the place she received a championship in 2018. Upon retiring from the WNBA in 2020, Paris spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach with the basketball staff. for girls in oklahoma.
An OU alumnus, Paris was the primary four-time Related Press and USBWA All-American in ladies’s school basketball historical past and is Oklahoma’s all-time chief in factors (2,729), rebounds (2,034) and have become the primary An NCAA participant—no matter gender or division—for accumulating 2,500 profession factors and a couple of,000 profession rebounds. She was the seventh general decide within the 2009 WNBA Draft and twice led the WNBA in rebounding in 2014 and 2015.
“I am extraordinarily lucky to have somebody like Courtney be part of the employees, as she brings a wealth of expertise from the collegiate {and professional} ranks that may profit our gamers tremendously,” Trammell stated. “Her resume as a participant speaks for itself and I am unable to wait to look at her develop as a coach and educator right here in Dallas. I do know our staff will look to her as a useful useful resource.”
Buncik returns for his second season because the Wings’ participant improvement coach. Previous to becoming a member of Dallas, he ran a expertise improvement enterprise the place he labored with all ranges of basketball gamers together with a variety of WNBA and NBA stars. From 2008 to 2018, Poncek served on the teaching employees of UT-Arlington males’s basketball beneath head coach Scott Cross, because the staff achieved its greatest win in program historical past.
“We’re excited to have Zac again within the Wings household,” Trammell acknowledged. “He brings a recent perspective to our employees, and I do know our gamers belief and respect his coaching and developmental methods. I sit up for working with Zach to assist our staff take the subsequent step in changing into a championship staff.”
Power and conditioning coach Preston Smith will even return for his second season with the staff.
“I am wanting ahead to working alongside Preston and having him proceed his unbelievable work with our gamers, to make sure they’ll at all times compete at their finest degree on and off the sphere,” Trammell stated.
The Dallas Wings opened the 2023 season in opposition to the Atlanta Dream on Could 20 at School Park Heart in Arlington, Texas. Season tickets for the staff’s 20 house video games might be bought at DallasWings.com. The 2023 Dallas Wings teaching employees contains: Coach Latricia Tramell, Assistant Coach Courtney Paris, Assistant Coach Brandi Paul, Affiliate Coach April Schilling, Participant Growth Coach Zach Poncic and Power and Conditioning Coach Preston Smith.
– Tammy Nash