Storu Courtesy: Sean Engel, Milwaukee Director of Athletic Communications
Milwaukee women’s basketball head coach Kyle Rechlicz has formally announced the hiring of three assistant coaches that have joined the program prior to the start of the season.
Making their way to Milwaukee are assistant coaches Lanyce Williams, Hannah Whitish, and graduate assistant coach AJ Ediger. The trio have been with the program throughout the preseason and been integral parts to the development of this year’s roster through the early stages of the campaign.
“I’m proud of the group of coaches we have hired this year to mentor our athletes both on and off the court,” commented Rechlicz. “They all bring different skill sets and experiences which will pay off dividends for us. Their work ethic is also top notch, and I know we are taking a big step hiring these three amazing women.”
Lanyce Williams
“Lanyce won me over day one on our first call,” said Rechlicz. “Her energy and positivity are contagious and having her in our program makes everyone smile more. She is one of the hardest workers on our staff and keeps everyone in our program organized. Her attention to detail is elite as is her belief in our players and program. She is a culture coach who will be impacting players for years and years to come.”
Williams comes to Milwaukee following a two-year graduate assistantship at the University of Cincinnati, where she earned her graduate degree in educational leadership.
During her time at Cincinnati, the Bearcats totaled 29 wins with Williams on the staff and improved their league win total to seven this past season – their highest mark since the 2019-20 campaign. The program saw two All-Big 12 Selections as well during Williams’ tenure.
She aided in the commitment of a top-15 recruiting class in 2025 and played a pivotal role in recruiting, working directly with the recruiting coordinator at Cincinnati. Her other responsibilities included managing film transfer, providing in-game feedback, preparing scouting reports, and assisting in the team’s academic successes while supervising study hall.
Williams began her coaching career at the University of Memphis, serving as an undergraduate assistant coach during the 2022-23 season and helped lead the Tigers to a third-round appearance in the WNIT. Memphis finished with 22 wins that season, including an 11-4 mark in American Athletic Conference play.
Before transitioning to coaching, Williams was a member of the Memphis roster for three seasons, contributing to 32 wins over the two-plus seasons played before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She earned AAC All-Academic Team honors in 2019-20 and was the All-Around Tiger Award recipient a year later. Williams earned a spot on the Dean’s List each semester while in college and served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a senior.
A three-star recruit according to ESPN, Williams helped lead Arlington High School to four district championships, including two undefeated seasons in league play. She was an All-District selection as a junior and graduated with a 4.00 GPA.
Hannah Whitish
“Hannah was the last hire of our coaching staff, as we were looking for a coach that could relate to the players, was invested in the state of Wisconsin, and truly wanted to grow our program,” noted Rechlicz. “We hit the nail on the head! If you can’t find her in the office getting us organized in recruiting or watching film, you can find her in the gym working out players. She is a fantastic addition to the program, and I can’t wait to help her continue to grow as a person and coach.”
Whitish joins the Panthers’ staff after playing professionally for the past five seasons and enjoying a standout career at the University of Nebraska.
Away from a decorated on-court career, Whitish has been an assistant coach and skills director with Team Herro since March 2025 and has been a skills trainer since April 2020.
Whitish most recently played for Hosbo Basket following two seasons with Östersund Basket, both in the Swedish Basketball League. Before playing in Sweden, her professional career began in Germany’s Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga 2, competing as a member of Rhein-Main Basket.
At Nebraska, Whitish played in 121 games for the Cornhuskers and averaged more than 28 minutes per game over four seasons. She finished with 1,228 career points, an average of 10.1 points per game, ranking 19th in all-time scoring at the time of graduation.
A sharpshooter from deep, Whitish recorded 258 career three-pointers and tallied 470 assists, both top-10 marks in Husker history. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, she became the first player in program history to reach 1,000 points, 400 assists, and 200 three-pointers.
During her time in Lincoln, she helped Nebraska to 59 wins, including an NCAA at-large selection as a sophomore, where they faced Arizona State. The Huskers also tallied 30 Big Ten victories during her career.
Whitish was a team captain at Nebraska as a senior and twice named the team’s Offensive Player of the Year. She was also a three-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team, which recognizes student-athletes for their commitment to service and community involvement.
The 2016 Wisconsin Miss Basketball, Whitish was selected as the state’s top high school girls’ basketball player while representing Barneveld High School. She was also the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year, a four-time All-Wisconsin First Team selection, and a two-time Conference Player of the Year.
AJ Ediger
“AJ was a no brainer for our graduate assistant position,” Rechlicz commented. “Not only does she come from an elite program and has played against some of the top competition in the country, but she is a phenomenal person. She is always bringing creative ideas to the program to help us grow our players as athletes and people. She is going to have a very successful career in coaching, and I’m excited her first stop is at Milwaukee.”
Ediger comes to Milwaukee following a four-year career at the University of Iowa, where she helped the Hawkeyes to 112 victories. During her time at Iowa, the Hawkeyes qualified for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship in each of her four seasons, including back-to-back appearances in the national championship games in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
A part of three Big Ten Championship teams, she played in 68 career games in the Black & Gold, finishing with a field goal percentage of .576. She also totaled 69 career rebounds along with 12 assists, three blocks, and 10 steals.
As a senior in 2024-25, she shot a career-best 64.7% from the field and finished her collegiate career with 117 points. Following the season, she was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team.
In the classroom, Ediger was a Dean’s List member throughout college, and away from basketball served over 140 hours of community service through ISAAC, DEI education, outreach, and advocacy.
While in college, she also was the head student-athlete coach for Iowa’s youth camps and was responsible for 10-20 athletes per session. Ediger implemented skill development drills, team competitions, and led the middle school camp independently, including creating the curriculum and managing scheduling.
A native of Hudsonville, Mich., Ediger was ranked among the nation’s top recruits in the 2021 signing class by ESPN. She earned numerous awards throughout high school, including All-State recognition, and played AAU for the West Michigan Drive, helping her team to a third-place finish at the 2019 National Blue Star Championship Tournament. A multi-sport athlete, she also competed in both volleyball and track & field at Hamilton High School.
