Second of two parts
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.
First at Western Michigan (2014-18), Smith joined the Northwestern women’s basketball coaching staff prior to the 2018-19 season. She was promoted to her current associate head coach position in 2022.
“As a coach, she’s doing great,” says NW Head Coach Joe McKeown of Smith. “She played 15 years in the pros. It’s such a great role model for our players.”
After 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.
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).
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.
Ironically, Smith was drafted by Minnesota in the 2007 dispersal draft but never wore a Lynx uniform; Phoenix acquired her soon after the draft.
Smith also played overseas as most W players did during the off-season, winning championships in Turkey, China and South Korea.
But coaching wasn’t part of her post-athletic plans upon retirement, Smith told MSR. “I can honestly say that now,” she told the MSR after the January 8 Minnesota-Northwestern game at Williams Arena.
“When I first started out, I didn’t think that I would be a coach. Honestly, when I started I didn’t have any idea that I was gonna become a coach.”
Over time, Smith grew into her job. McKeown noted that Smith is “so, so positive with helping [players] with their careers.” Among her responsibilities, Smith works with developing the team’s post players as well as the team’s overall player skill development.
“We are really lucky to have her this long,” stressed McKeown, who’s retiring at season’s end after nearly a half-century of college coaching.
Smith pointed out her indebtedness to the soon-to-retire Wildcats HC: “I’ve learned a lot from him,” she said. “Honestly, he’s 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.
“I’ve had my ups and downs, but I do not regret coaching,” continued Smith. “It’s very rewarding. I love it.”
“She’s been loyal to Northwestern,” 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.
Smith appreciates McKeown’s faith and confidence in her. “He taught me all of the knowledge that he’s taught me because he’s been coaching for over 40 years. So just being around him … it’s just helped me grow as a coach.
“He’s allowed me the freedom [to coach],” she said. “Some [head] coaches in this industry don’t allow their assistant coaches [to do that], don’t give them a lot of freedom. Coach is one of those ones … 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.”
Smith said that she will seek advice if and when a HC chance comes up. “I’m just gonna listen to God until He gonna tell me what’s my next step.”
Finally…
There are more Black female coaches (five) in the Unrivaled 3×3 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.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.