UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft has named four-year Penn State women’s basketball letterwinner Tanisha Wright as the seventh head coach of the Lady Lion basketball program. She returns to Happy Valley following a five-year stint coaching in the WNBA, including three seasons as a head coach.

Wright will be introduced as head coach of the Lady Lions at a press conference on Monday, March 23 at noon ET.

One of the most decorated players in program history, Wright led the Lady Lions to back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances from 2001 to 2005, including trips to the Sweet 16 (2002, 2003) and Elite Eight (2004). In all four of her seasons in Happy Valley, Penn State finished ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, with a program-high No. 5 ranking in 2003-04. A three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Wright also earned three All-Big Ten first team selections, Academic All-Big Ten honors, first-team USBWA All-American recognition and three AP All-American Honorable Mention accolades.

“Penn State women’s basketball has a proud history, a strong tradition and a standard of excellence,” said Kraft. “Tanisha Wright embodies everything this program stands for. She is one of the greatest to ever wear a Lady Lion uniform, and she went on to spend 19 years competing and coaching at the highest level of women’s professional basketball, including winning a championship as a player. She knows what winning looks like, she knows what it demands and she understands what our fans and this university expect on the court, in the classroom and in the community. As we begin this exciting new chapter with Coach Wright at the helm, her leadership, experience and deep connection to Penn State will be instrumental in building upon our proud tradition and returning this program to the national stage where it belongs.”

“Penn State will always be home to me, and it is an incredible honor to return to this program as head coach,” said Wright. “This University shaped me as a student athlete, and I understand the pride, tradition and expectations that come with wearing the Lady Lion uniform. I’m grateful to President Bendapudi, Pat Kraft and the entire Penn State community for their trust. I’m excited to invest in our student-athletes, compete at the highest level and build a program that reflects the values, toughness and excellence that define Penn State women’s basketball.”

The West Mifflin, Pa. native suited up in a Blue & White jersey 134 times, the second-most games played by a Lady Lion in program history. She compiled 771 field goals throughout her collegiate career, which ranks fifth in the PSU record book in addition to 439 free throws. Wright was a renowned defender for the Lady Lions, grabbing 621 rebounds, 267 steals and 61 blocks. Throughout Wright’s sophomore and senior campaigns, the team went undefeated (16-0 in 2002-03 and 12-0 in 2004-05) at home in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Upon graduating from Penn State, Wright was drafted as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft to the Seattle Storm. She spent 10 seasons in the Emerald City, helping her team to nine-straight playoff berths including a championship in 2010. The 19-year veteran made stops with the New York Liberty (2015-16, 2019) and the Minnesota Lynx (2018), before retiring from the league in 2019.

Throughout her professional career, Wright secured multiple accolades, including WNBA All-Defensive first team honors on five occasions (2009-10, 2011, 2013-14) with the Storm and All-Defensive second team twice with the Liberty (2015-16). She helped the Storm to a WNBA Championship in 2010 and was recognized as one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders. The Lady Lion alumna also had stints playing professionally overseas in Israel, France, Poland and Turkey.

Wright began her coaching career in 2017, while still playing professionally. She served as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she oversaw the development of the perimeter players and guards.

The Lady Lion legend earned her first WNBA coaching position with the Las Vegas Aces as an assistant coach from 2020-21. She helped guide the Aces to the WNBA Finals in 2020 and the semifinals in 2021, before landing her first head coaching position at the helm of the Atlanta Dream from 2021-24.

With the Dream, she led her squad to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2013 in addition to three consecutive double-digit win seasons. Wright was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2022 following a 14-win season, the organization’s best mark since 2018. The four-year PSU letterwinner mentored Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray to consecutive All-Star appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24 respectively. Along with Howard’s All-Star nod, Wright guided her to earning the 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year, marking only the second in franchise history.

After her three-year stint in the Peach State, Wright took an assistant coaching position at the Chicago Sky in January of 2025.

Wright also has experience coaching at the national team level. She made her first appearance with USA Basketball as a court coach for the women’s national team at the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Antwerp, Belgium. Wright then served as a scout for the 2024 USA Basketball Women’s National Team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

THE WRIGHT FILE

Personal

Year at Penn State: 1st

Hometown: West Mifflin, Pa.

Education: Penn State, 2005 – B.A. Elementary Education

Coaching Career

2026-present: Penn State [Head Coach]

2025: Chicago Sky [Assistant Coach]

2021-24: Atlanta Dream [Head Coach]

2020: Las Vegas Aces [Assistant Coach]

2017: UNC Charlotte [Assistant Coach]

Playing Experience

2002-05: Penn State

2005-14: Seattle Storm [WNBA]

2015-16: New York Liberty [WNBA]

2018-19: Minnesota Lynx [WNBA]

2019: New York Liberty [WNBA]