Katherine Graham has been named an assistant coach for the WKU Lady Topper Basketball program, it was announced by head coach Michelle Clark-Heard on Monday. The former LSU player and Georgia graduate assistant spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach at Lipscomb.
“We are excited to welcome Katherine Graham to WKU as an assistant coach,” said Clark-Heard. “I was really impressed with Katherine’s knowledge of the game and work ethic as I got to know her. She has competed at a high level throughout her career as a player, reaching a Final Four in 2008, and has had exposure to great success during her young coaching career that will be a great help to continuing to grow our program. She has been around two of the all-time greats in coaching during her career in Van Chancellor and Andy Landers so I am excited about what she brings to our team. She is one of the premier, up and coming assistants in the country and we are lucky to have her.”
Graham was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at LSU under Hall of Fame Coach Van Chancellor and reached the Final Four in 2008. During her LSU career, she played alongside elite WNBA players — including Sylvia Fowles, the second pick in the 2008 draft — and reached three NCAA Tournaments. She is one of only two players in LSU history to record a triple-double and the only player to do so in SEC play as Graham achieved the feat on Feb. 7, 2010, against Ole Miss.
During her career, LSU compiled a 90-40 records — winning at least 19 games each season she wore the purple and yellow in Baton Rouge, La. She was the 25th player in program history to finish with 500 career rebounds (513) while also finishing her career with 295 assists and 713 points. Graham was named to the SEC Coaches All-Defensive Team her senior season. Graham proved to be an asset on the offensive side as well, finishing with a team high 102 assists on the year. She was also selected to the SEC Community Service Team.
Following her collegiate playing career, she spent one season playing professional basketball in Iceland before heading to Georgia where she spent two seasons as a graduate assistant to Hall of Fame coach Andy Landers. The Bulldogs went 48-19 in two years with Graham on the bench.
In 2012-13, the Bulldogs were ranked as high as sixth in the nation and eventually reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, beating top-seeded Stanford during their impressive tournament run. Georgia finished the season ranked 10th in the Coaches Poll and 14th in the Associated Press rankings. She helped coach three WNBA Draft Picks during her time as a graduate assistant at Georgia, including Jasmine Hassell (2013, 2nd round pick of the Indiana Fever), Jasmine James (2013, 3rd round pick of the Seattle Storm) and Anne Marie Armstrong (2013, 3rd round pick of the Atlanta Dream).
The Birmingham, Ala., native played her prep ball at Ramsay High, averaging 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for coach Rob Mosely. She led her high school to a 126-13 record and four-straight Class 5A state titles over her last four years before earning 2006-07 Miss Basketball and the 5A Player of the Year honors.
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