One of the more impressive athletes over the past few years has been Kristi Toliver, who has juggled playing in the WNBA while also being an assistant coach in the NBA.
In October of 2018, she became a full-time assistant coach for the Washington Wizards while also playing for the Washington Mystics and more recently the Los Angeles Sparks.
The third overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, Toliver quickly became a well-respected coach around the NBA.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Dallas Mavericks are now hiring Toliver as an assistant coach. A two-time WNBA champion, she’s still under contract with the Sparks through the 2022 season, but this signing with the Mavericks will not affect her WNBA playing career.
The former University of Maryland star will be key in the success of the Mavericks in the upcoming season as a voice on their bench and in the locker room.
A proven winner, Toliver helped lead the Sparks to the 2016 WNBA title as well as the Mystics’ title run in 2019. She is averaging 9.5 points per contest for Los Angeles this season.
