It didn’t take long for another program to snap up a member of Arizona’s coaching staff.
Tamisha Augustin joined Mississippi State’s staff as one of coach Nikki McCray-Penson’s assistant coaches on Tuesday morning. She is one of two new assistants on the Bulldogs’ staff; Wes Brooks, who was previously on staff at Michigan, is the other.
“Thank you Tucson for all your support,” Augustin tweeted Tuesday, shortly before changing her profile photo from a UA Final Four photo to one showing the Mississippi State logo.
UA head coach Adia Barnes now has a new priority in recruiting — adding a staffer to a program that advanced to its first-ever Final Four and national championship game earlier this month. The UA posted a job opening on Saturday.
Augustin came to Arizona two years ago, when April Phillips left for a similar job at Cal. In addition to her coaching duties, Augustin was the UA’s recruiting coordinator. Her main on-court responsibility required working with the post players.
Prior to UA, Augustin served as an assistant at Cincinnati, Minnesota, UCF, VCU and Marshall. Augustin played collegiately at Alabama A&M and was the first American to play for KSC-Szekszard in Hungary before injuries cut her pro career short.
Augustin is the fifth assistant during Barnes’ tenure to leave the program — either for more money, a head coaching role or to be closer to family. Kelly Rae Finley (Florida), Sunny Smallwood (Montana) and Phillips (Cal) all left for other assistant coaching jobs. Morgan Valley was named head coach at Hartford.
In the spotlight
Since her team finished just one basket short of winning it all, Barnes has been going nonstop.
Barnes appeared on ESPN’s “Spain & Fitz,” “College Sports on SirusXM” with Sean O’Connell and Geoff Schwartz, and on other radio shows and podcasts over the last week.
She also appeared on “The Steam Room” with Charles Barkley — a timely pairing, as Barnes’ style of play was compared to Barkley’s when she starred at the UA. On the show, Barnes told Barkley that she was “looking for more undersized players (with) your mentality.”
On Monday night, Barnes participated in a panel in the Boardroom on the Clubhouse app talking about the 25th anniversary of the WNBA. Barnes, who won the 2004 championship with the Seattle Storm, played professionally in the league and overseas for 12 years.
At one point, more than 1,000 people were listening to the program.
Barnes talked about how things have changed in the WNBA. When she played, pro players didn’t have the freedom to use their voices. Last summer, WNBA players came together and collectively used their platform more than ever before. “It was such a powerful message that was united,” Barnes said.
“Wow! They impacted (a senatorial) election … in Atlanta,” Barnes added. “I was impressed and so excited to see how it carries over to this year. … To be a voice and cause change is amazing. I love it.”
Ringing it up
Shaina Pellington was named Toyota Player of the Week in Canada for helping the Wildcats to their title game. Pellington is a native of Pickering, Ontario and is a member of the Canadian national team.
Pellington scored a season-high 15 points in Arizona’s title game loss to Stanford, adding seven rebounds and three steals.
Rim shots
- Augustin isn’t the only assistant leaving the state of Arizona. Angie Nelp, ASU’s associate head coach, has been named head coach at Tulsa. Nelp was the state of Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 1998. She played at Colorado State and professionally in Sweden and in the NWBL before started her coaching career.
The WNBA will look a lot different during the 2021 season. Teams will wear new uniforms, play with a new ball, and compete for an in-season Commissioner’s Cup event. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Tuesday that players will be quarantined before training camps begin on April 25. Players who have been fully vaccinated won’t have to quarantine as long. It is not known if UA’s Aari McDonald and Trinity Baptiste will have both their shots by that deadline. The Wildcats received their first shots last week.
