Cetera DiGiovanni joined the Western Michigan women’s basketball coaching staff in June, 2014 and serves as the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator. She had been an assistant coach before being elevated in January, 2020.
DiGiovanni was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association 30 Under 30 List, presented by Marriot Rewards. Her primary responsibilities for the Broncos include perimeter player development, recruiting, scouting, equipment and academic supervision.
During the 2019-20 season, DiGiovanni helped WMU go 18-13 overall and 10-8 in the Mid-American Conference to finish third in the league’s West Division. DiGiovanni's work resulted in a tie for the ninth most MAC wins in program history and the squad’s most league triumphs since 11 in 2014-15.
Her efforts helped WMU produce 10 home wins for the first time since the 2014-15 season, and just the fourth time since 2003. The postseason featured a return to Cleveland for the MAC tournament quarterfinals as Western Michigan defeated No. 12 seed Bowling Green 84-67 in the first round.
Three-point shooting aided the Broncos during the campaign as they set the program record for threes made in a campaign with 225. WMU’s 15 threes against BGSU are tied for the second most in a game in program history. The Broncos also drilled 13 threes against Ohio on January 15, tied for the fifth most in a Western Michigan game.
Individually, DiGiovanni player development paid off with Jordan Walker receiving third team all-league honors. Walker finished the year with 495 points, tied for the ninth most in a year in program history, and 66 threes, the 11th most by a Bronco during a season. In the post, Breanna Mobley became the program’s career leader in rebounds (1,050) and received second team All-MAC accolades.
During her fifth season, DiGiovanni helped Deja Wimby to honorable mention All-MAC and All-MAC Defensive Team nods at the end of the 2018-19 campaign. Wimby led the team in points scored and total steals and finished fifth in the MAC in assists with 115. She tallied four double-doubles and finished the first round MAC tournament game against Northern Illinois with a career-high 24 points.
The 2017-18 campaign had DiGiovanni continue to develop guards for the Broncos as WMU finished fifth in the MAC in steals (8.0 per game) and sixth in assists (15.3 per game). Wimby finished third in the league in assists, dishing out 6.2 per contest. Walker had a breakout season as she stood fifth on the team in scoring (7.9 ppg) and second in assists (3.3 apg) and steals (1.6 spg). Walker also helped the Broncos reach Cleveland for the MAC tournament with a career-high 32 points against Bowling Green.
DiGiovanni's third season, in 2016-17, led to Wimby landing a spot on the All-MAC Defensive Team as the guard led the league, and finished tied for 30th nationally, in steals (86). The total was the sixth highest in WMU history. Wimby finished with four double-doubles, averaging 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. She also led the team with 165 assists and was third in field goals made (133) and rebounds (166). Meredith Shipman checked in second in the MAC in steals with 76 and was named third team All-MAC after averaging 12.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Shipman scored in double-figures in 18 games during the year, including one 30-point game and six 20-point performances.
With the guidance of DiGiovanni, the Broncos’ three-point game was key to the team's success in 2015-16, as WMU finished second in the MAC in three-point shooting (.344) and led the league in three-point field goal defense (.283). Shipman led the team in scoring with 351 points and hit 76 three-pointers during the season, good for fourth in WMU history. She also hit nine three-pointers at Toledo, breaking the WMU record.
A Kalamazoo native and former Loy Norrix High School standout, Cetera Washington played collegiately at Michigan State while WMU head coach Shane Clipfell was an assistant for the Spartans. She went on to spend two years as a graduate assistant at MSU and was an assistant coach at Canisius during the 2013-14 season.
Washington started every game at Loy Norrix, where she was a four-year captain and 2006 Associated Press Class A Player of the Year. As a senior, she averaged a double-double with 22.8 points and 11.3 rebounds, amassing 1,815 career points and setting a school record with 767 points her final season. She finished fifth in voting for the 2006 Michigan Miss Basketball award.
At Michigan State, Washington was a three-time winner of the program’s Spartan Hustle Award and was team captain as a senior in 2010-11, leading the Green & White to a Big Ten championship. She appeared in 135 career games, leaving the program tied for second in games played. The Spartans made NCAA Tournament appearances (including one Sweet 16) in each of her final three seasons and finished as the WNIT runners-up her freshman year in 2008. The Spartans also qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of her two seasons as a graduate assistant.
She was named Michigan State’s Most Improved Player after her sophomore season and set career highs as a senior in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes per game. She finished 11th all-time at MSU with 60 blocks and had a career line of 3.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
Washington graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2011 and a master’s degree in youth development in 2013. Married in June of 2019 to David DiGiovanni.
