NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Le’coe Willingham, a 10-year WNBA veteran, has joined the Tennessee State University women’s basketball staff as announced by head coach Larry Inman.
Willingham will serve as the individual post coach and defensive coordinator. She will also assist with recruiting efforts.
“Le’Coe Willingham is a great hire who brings a wealth of experience from the WNBA with ten years as a professional athlete and two championships,” said Inman. “She is bringing new information to our players from the highest level.”
A native of Augusta, Ga., Willingham comes to Tennessee State from the Atlanta Dream where she played last season. Willingham was a three-time All-SEC selection out of Auburn, but went undrafted before being signed by Connecticut, where she spent the first four years of her career (2004-07). She then spent two seasons with the Phoenix Mercury (2008-09) and two in Seattle (2010-11).
Willingham’s best seasons came in Phoenix, where she averaged 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2008, and 10.0 points and 4.2 boards in 2009. She set a franchise record for field goal percentage in 2008, by making a league-leading 57.0 percent of her shots. She helped the Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2009 and also was a key reserve for the 2010 Seattle team that defeated Atlanta in the WNBA Finals.
Prior to her stint with the Dream, Willingham was a member of the Chicago Sky where she averaged 18.5 minutes per game – sixth highest on the team. She appeared in all but one game, averaging 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and one assist per game.
A standout athlete at Auburn, Willingham is the program’s seventh all-time scorer and sixth all-time rebounder. She is among Auburn’s top ten career leaders in starts, points, field goals made, field goal percentage, free-throws made, free-throws attempted and rebounds. While attending Hephzibah High School, she won the 1998 AAAA Georgia State Women’s state high jump title.
At the conclusion of her professional career, Le’Coe returned to Auburn obtain a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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