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\u00a0Tangela Smith Credit: Charles Hallman<\/p>\nSecond of two parts<\/p>\n
\u00a0Tangela Smith Credit: Charles Hallman<\/p>\n
Tangela Smith, a Chicago South Side native, was a high school star who also starred in Iowa, then the WNBA, and overseas before moving into coaching.<\/p>\n
First at Western Michigan (2014-18), Smith joined the Northwestern women\u2019s basketball coaching staff prior to the 2018-19 season. She was promoted to her current associate head coach position in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a coach, she\u2019s doing great,\u201d says NW Head Coach Joe McKeown of Smith. \u201cShe played 15 years in the pros. It\u2019s such a great role model for our players.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0After an all-American prep career, Smith played at Iowa, where along with earning her degree in sports, health, leisure and physical studies (1998) she put up career numbers in points (1,598), rebounds (859) and blocked shots (235), won two Big Ten regular season championships (1996, 1998) and the 1997 conference tournament title.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was named Big Ten MVP in her senior season and finished her Hawkeye career tops in blocks, third in rebounds, and seventh in scoring, and later became an Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (2019).<\/p>\n
Then Smith played for five WNBA teams, only the seventh player in league history to surpass 4,000 points during her 15-year career, a two-time W champion and a 2009 All-Star.<\/p>\n
Ironically, Smith was drafted by Minnesota in the 2007 dispersal draft but never wore a Lynx uniform; Phoenix acquired her soon after the draft.<\/p>\n
Smith also played overseas as most W players did during the off-season, winning championships in Turkey, China and South Korea.<\/p>\n
But coaching wasn\u2019t part of her post-athletic plans upon retirement, Smith told MSR. \u201cI can honestly say that now,\u201d she told the MSR after the January 8 Minnesota-Northwestern game at Williams Arena.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first started out, I didn\u2019t think that I would be a coach. Honestly, when I started I didn\u2019t have any idea that I was gonna become a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over time, Smith grew into her job. McKeown noted that Smith is \u201cso, so positive with helping [players] with their careers.\u201d Among her responsibilities, Smith works with developing the team\u2019s post players as well as the team\u2019s overall player skill development.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are really lucky to have her this long,\u201d stressed McKeown, who\u2019s retiring at season\u2019s end after nearly a half-century of college coaching.<\/p>\n
Smith pointed out her indebtedness to the soon-to-retire Wildcats HC: \u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot from him,\u201d she said. \u201cHonestly, he\u2019s taught me so much. He believed in me when I first started coaching. He knew I was from Chicago; he asked me if I wanted to come back home, and it was perfect for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had my ups and downs, but I do not regret coaching,\u201d continued Smith. \u201cIt\u2019s very rewarding. I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s been loyal to Northwestern,\u201d McKeown pointed out. He said he fully believes that if the opportunity should arise, Smith would be an ideal head coach, that she is uniquely qualified and ready to move into the first chair on the coaching bench.<\/p>\n
Smith appreciates McKeown\u2019s faith and confidence in her. \u201cHe taught me all of the knowledge that he\u2019s taught me because he\u2019s been coaching for over 40 years. So just being around him \u2026 it\u2019s just helped me grow as a coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s allowed me the freedom [to coach],\u201d she said. \u201cSome [head] coaches in this industry don\u2019t allow their assistant coaches [to do that], don\u2019t give them a lot of freedom. Coach is one of those ones \u2026 He gave us freedom to speak our mind, voice our opinions. He wants us to just be free to do what we can do for the girls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith said that she will seek advice if and when a HC chance comes up. \u201cI\u2019m just gonna listen to God until He gonna tell me what\u2019s my next step.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Unrivaled Black coaches (l-r) Rena Wakama, Noelle Quinn, Teresa Weatherspoon, Nola Henry and Roneeka Hodges Credit: Twitter<\/p>\n
Finally\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are more Black female coaches (five) in the Unrivaled 3\u00d73 league, now in its second season, than in the older WNBA (zero). Rena Wakama, Nola Henry, Noelle Quinn, Teresa Weatherspoon and Roneeka Hodges are the lead Sistahs.<\/p>\n