Australian Olympian and WNBA star Leilani Mitchell has signed to coach the Maitland Mustangs women's team in a huge coup for the club.
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MItchell was part of the Australian Opals team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and has just completed the WNBA season playing with the Washington Mystics.
In what will be her first foray into coaching, Mitchell will join the Mustangs at the end of the Australian WNBL season in which she will be playing for Bendigo Spirit.
In other news
The Mustangs have also resigned Waratah Champions League coach of the year Luke Boyle as head coach of the men's team.
Mustangs basketball manager Rebekah Wallace said the Mustangs men's and women's teams could not be in better hands for the 2022 season.
Wallace, who played for the Mustangs for a decade, said Mitchell's appointment would be huge boost for women's basketball in Maitland and the Hunter in general.
She said the Opals star would be a non-playing coach as she takes her first steps into the next stage of her career.
"She is reaching what I guess you would say the twilight of her career. She has a contract with Bendigo and this WNBL season and arrives there on November 5 to start," Wallace said.
"She is looking at turning her on-court career to a career in coaching post playing and we're going to be her starting point.
"It's really exiciting to bring someone like Lei, with her knowledge and experience and overall persona as well, to Maitland. She is really laid back and very giving in nature I think she will be a fantastic fit for our club.
Mitchell, 36, was twice named the WNBA's most improved player during her 13-year career.
She played College basketball with Utah and Idaho before being drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2008 only to be traded to New York Liberty where she made her WNBA debut.
After taking a year off in 2014 to spend with her family in Australia she was picked up by Phoenix. Over the next six years she has played with Phonenix and the Washtington Mystics.
Back in Australia she won championships with the Sydney Flames (2016-17), Canberra Capitals (2018-19) and Southside Flyers (2020) and was most valuable player in the 2016-17 and 2020 grand finals.
She has played with the Dandeong Rangers, Sydney Uni Flames, Dandenong Rangers and Canberra Capitals. She joins Bendigo this season after two years with the Southside Flyers (the rebranded Rangers).
