The Chicago Sky hired former WNBA center Courtney Paris as an assistant coach, the team announced in a Wednesday release.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to Jeff and Tyler for the opportunity to join the Chicago Sky organization,” Paris said in a Wednesday release. “Through this process, I’ve had the chance to get to know Tyler, and I am truly inspired by his vision and leadership. I’m eager to support him and the entire coaching staff as we work together to elevate this team."
Paris has worked as an assistant coach for Dallas Wings squads that featured a center rotation of Teaira McCowan and Kalani Brown. She spent one season as an assistant at Oklahoma with head coach Sherri Coale. Paris played for four teams throughout her 11-year WNBA career. She was selected by the Sacramento Monarchs with the No. 7 pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. Her sister, Ashley, would be selected by the Los Angeles Sparks in the next round. The two-time rebounding champion was selected by the Sky in the 2010 WNBA Dispersal Draft, but would be waived before the start of the WNBA season.
Paris won a championship with the Seattle Storm in 2018. The 6-foot-4 big joined now-Storm coach Noelle Quinn on a star-studded roster that swept a Washington Mystics squad led by former Sky forward Elena Delle Donne in the 2018 Finals. Paris's international career would span nine seasons on Turkish, Spanish and Israeli teams.
Paris's four years at Oklahoma saw her win four First-Team All-American, three Big 12 Player of the Year, four Big 12 All-Defensive Team and one AP Player of the Year selections, among a variety of other notable awards. She averaged 19.9 points and 14.8 rebounds per game during her illustrious collegiate career, where she led Oklahoma to a Final Four appearance against an Angel McCoughtry-led Louisville squad in 2009.
Paris will join head coach Tyler Marsh, who was hired last month after working as an assistant for the Las Vegas Aces. Marsh, who opened up on why he wanted to join the Sky in a Tuesday interview, was a player development coach with the Toronto Raptors and the NBA G League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Both will be crucial in developing the budding big duo of forward Angel Reese and center Kamilla Cardoso, who earned spots on the All-Rookie team following stellar seasons of their own. Reese earned an All-Star selection in a rookie season that saw her average a league-best 13.1 rebounds per game.
The Sky's 2024 coaching staff featured assistants with collegiate, WNBA and USA basketball experience. Sydney Johnson, who was added to Teresa Weatherspoon's staff in February, was a head coach at Princeton and Fairfield before he joined the Sky. Crystal Robinson spent time as an assistant with the Storm, Wings and Phoenix Mercury before she joined Chicago a week before. The Sky welcomed back guard Tamera Young, a nine-year Sky veteran and a star at James Madison, with a spot on the staff two months later.