USC women’s basketball welcomes Willnett Crockett to the coaching staff for 2023-24, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb announced. A Los Angeles native, Crockett brings 13 years of coaching experience to her position at USC as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“It’s a huge day for our program to be able to add Willnett Crockett to our coaching staff,” Gottlieb said. “Coach Will is a winner. She won two national titles right here in LA as a top high school player. She was an All-American and Gatorade State Player of the Year in California, and then went on to win two national titles in college. She has literally walked in the shoes that our players aspire to, and she will be a terrific mentor and leader for them. She has also built a tremendous reputation as a college coach. At Temple, she had a hand in all aspects of a winning program and helped develop pros. I am most excited to add Coach Will for the quality of human being she is. A woman of high character and work ethic, we are thrilled she has come home to LA to help USC Women’s Basketball achieve our goals.”
A product of Narbonne High School in Los Angeles, Crockett played collegiate basketball at UConn before being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks and continuing in a pro career that saw her play in the WNBA and internationally. Her coaching career began at Temple, where she spent 13 years as an assistant coach. With the Owls, Crockett helped head coach Tonya Cardoza become the winningest coach in program history with 251 victories. During Crockett’s tenure at Temple, the Owls made three trips to the NCAA Tournament and four WNIT appearances, including two WNIT quarterfinal runs and a semifinal run in 2015.
“It’s not every day that you have the chance to come HOME in front of family and friends to do what you love!,” Crockett said. “I am beyond ecstatic and grateful to God for the opportunity to join such an enriched history of success and tradition here at the prestigious University of Southern California. I am thankful that Lindsay thought enough of me to become a part of the Trojan Family. I can not wait to work alongside her and this incredible staff, to support her mission of encouraging, developing and mentoring student-athletes to strive for excellence on and off the court. I truly believe my experience from working alongside some of the best coaches and individuals in the business for so long has helped shaped who I am today, and will be a huge asset in helping to guide these exceptional young women to achieve their highest potential both academically and athletically.”
Temple’s 2016-17 season was one of its best, as the Owls went 24-8 overall, earned an NCAA bid, and finished second in the American Athletic Conference. Reaching the 20-win plateau for the third-straight year, Temple notched the program’s best-ever RPI of 18 at the end of regular-season play. The Owls were ranked nationally for five weeks of the season, and beat two nationally ranked teams (#16/17 DePaul, #20/21 USF).
Crockett was instrumental in mentoring and developing post players at Temple. She also had significant roles in the Owls’ recruiting, scouting, practice scheduling, equipment coordinator and individual skill development while also serving as the liaison to strength & conditioning.
In 2022, Crockett returned to her home state of California to serve as director of women’s basketball operations at CSUN for the 2022-23 season.
Crockett is a 2006 graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She helped UConn win two NCAA Championships along with two BIG EAST regular season titles and two BIG EAST Tournament title. She was also a part of UConn’s record-breaking Division I 70-game winning streak from 2001-03.
Crockett was selected in the second round of the 2006 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks (22nd pick overall). She also played for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and competed professionally overseas in Africa, Latvia and Lithuania.
