Phoenix Mercury name Valley native Vanessa Nygaard as next head coach
Jan 24, 2022, 2:23 PM | Updated: Jan 25, 2022, 7:56 am
(L-R) Assistant coaches Tanisha Wright, Vanessa Nygaard and Sugar Rodgers of the Las Vegas Aces look on from the bench as their players take on the Connecticut Sun during their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sun defeated the Aces 72-65. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Mercury named Scottsdale native Vanessa Nygaard as the team’s next head coach on Monday.
The Athletic first reported the move on Friday.
The Mercury will be hosting a press conference with general manager Jim Pitman to announce Nygaard as the team’s new head coach on Monday at 4:30 p.m.
Nygaard has never been a head coach in the WNBA before. She was most recently an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces in 2021 under coach Bill Laimbeer.
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She was also previously an assistant coach with the San Antonio Stars in 2008 and the Washington Mystics in 2009.
Nygaard found success as a high school head coach in Southern California, as she helped lead Windward High School’s program to state championships in 2013, 2017 and 2018. She was named the Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year for 2019-20.
She also has experience coaching Team USA youth teams.
The Valley native played five seasons in the WNBA for four different teams from 1999-2003. She previously played college ball at Stanford, where she reached three Final Fours.
Nygaard will replace Sandy Brondello, who coached Phoenix for eight seasons before the two sides parted ways. She is now the head coach of the New York Liberty.
The Mercury reached the WNBA Finals last season, but they fell to the Chicago Sky three games to one.
