Former WNBA All-Star and William & Mary women’s basketball assistant coach Sugar Rodgers has announced her departure from W&M to accept a position on the coaching staff of the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries.
The Valkyries will be the first of multiple expansion franchises to take the court in the WNBA, beginning play in the 2025 season.
Rodgers, who spent eight years in the league as a player and won the 2013 WNBA title with Minnesota, has spent the last three seasons with the Tribe and helped usher in a new era of success for W&M women’s basketball under head coach Erin Dickerson Davis.
“We are incredibly proud and excited for Sugar as she embarks on her next chapter with the Valkyries,” Davis said. “Her impact on our student-athletes, both on and off the court, has been immeasurable, and we are grateful for the time, energy and heart she has poured into this program.”
During her time with the Tribe, Rodgers primarily worked with the program’s guards.
Under her tutelage, W&M perimeter players earned four all-conference honors, with Riley Casey and Sydney Wagner earning All-CAA First and Second Team honors in her first season. Cassidy Geddes was named to the CAA’s All-Rookie Team in 2023-24 before Bella Nascimento was named All-CAA Second Team and the Most Outstanding Player of the CAA Tournament this past season.
With Rodgers on the bench, W&M has racked up plenty of wins and history as well.
The Suffolk, Va. native aided the Tribe to back-to-back 12-6 marks in CAA play in 2022-23 and 2023-24, tying the program record for conference wins in a season.
This past season, the Tribe put together a storybook run, winning four games in four days to win the CAA title and earn the school’s first ever berth to the NCAA Tournament in basketball.
The history continued last week, with the Tribe winning its first NCAA Tournament game over High Point in the First Four before bowing out to top-seeded Texas on Saturday.
“While we will miss her presence, we know she will do great things at the professional level,” Davis added. “We hope the W&M community will join is in thanking Sugar for her contributions and wishing her the very best in this new journey!”
Davis and her staff will immediately begin a national search to replace Rodgers.
