Ohio State Turns to WNBA to Bolster Coaching Staff
The Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team announced two new additions to their coaching staff for the 2024-25 season on Monday.
One of them was their hiring of former Buckeyes superstar and current Dallas Wings guard Jacy Sheldon as their director of player development.
She couldn’t stay away 😁
— Ohio State Women’s Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) November 11, 2024
Welcome back to one of the best to ever do it in an Ohio State uniform.
Our new Director of Player Development, Jacy Sheldon ‼️
📝 https://t.co/55h6pW3Lf1#GoBucks | #DevelopedHere pic.twitter.com/0Qq5PWCI0U
"As the director of player development, Sheldon will play a pivotal role in enhancing student-athlete growth both on and off the court," the Buckeyes' November 11 press release wrote. "She will work closely with the coaching staff, athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches to develop and implement comprehensive, individualized player development plans.
"Sheldon will serve as a mentor for student-athletes, helping them develop leadership skills, confidence and a strong work ethic by fostering a high-performance environment focused on skills development, overall personal growth, player development and post-graduation success," the release continued.
While this hasn't been stated directly, there's no indication that this new role will affect Sheldon (who was the No. 5 pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft) playing with the Wings in the future.
The other hiring Ohio State made was Katie Smith as an assistant coach. Smith has spent the past five seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, serving as the associate head coach under Cheryl Reeve since 2022.
Katie Smith is back in Scarlet & Gray 🌰
— Ohio State Women’s Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) November 11, 2024
Buckeye Nation, welcome back a LEGEND to our staff as an assistant coach ‼️
📝 https://t.co/IFQVoFKLm5#GoBucks | #DevelopedHere pic.twitter.com/UmiURZFmRH
"I'm both excited and grateful to return to my alma mater, Ohio State, and to the city my family and I proudly call home," Smith said. "Ohio State and its women's basketball program played such a pivotal role in my journey and I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to the program that helped shape me."
Perhaps these additions will help turn the Buckeyes into national championship contenders.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.