KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Northwestern University has announced the hiring of Tangela Smith, a former assistant coach for the Western Michigan women's basketball team, on Friday morning. Smith joins the Wildcats coaching staff as an assistant under head coach Joe McKeown.

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Smith heads to Northwestern from Western Michigan where she served as an assistant coach under WMU head coach Shane Clipfell for four seasons. Her primary duties included recruiting, game planning, post player development and team travel. 

"While we are all sad to be losing a great coach and person in Tangela, we are very happy for her ability to advance in her career and equally important for her to get back closer to home," commented Clipfell. "I can't thank her enough for her contributions to our program over the past four years. Northwestern is getting a superstar with this hire."

A former Iowa All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year, Smith was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs as the 12th overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft. She went on to play for the Monarchs, Charlotte Sting, Phoenix Mercury, Indiana Fever and San Antonio Stars.

She helped the Mercury win WNBA titles in 2007 & 2009, averaging 12.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg during the first championship season and 9.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg during the second run. She was an was an all-star for Charlotte in 2006, prompting the Mercury to trade their No. 1 draft pick, Lindsey Harding (Duke), to acquire Smith.

Northwestern will be her second collegiate coaching stop for Smith as she also earned her bachelor of science degree in sports, health, leisure, and physical studies from the University of Iowa in 1998 and just recently graduated from Western Michigan with a master's in sports management during the summer of 2018.