The Western Michigan women’s basketball team and head coach Shane Clipfell announced the hiring of Vanessa Abel as the assistant coach starting in the 2018-19 season.
Abel joins the Bronco coaching staff and team that is coming off another successful season. WMU went 18-15 overall including a 9-9 Mid-American Conference record that placed them third in the ultra-competitive west division to conclude the 2017-18 season. The Broncos made a trip to the MAC Tournament Semifinals for the second consecutive year and second time since 2003 after upsetting three-seeded and WNIT participant Ball State in the quarterfinals.
Abel comes to Western Michigan after spending two seasons at Saint Francis University as an assistant coach under head coach Joe Haigh as SFU went 41-25 during those two seasons. The Red Flash reached their 12th NCAA Tournament last year, defeating Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference Championship but fell to the hands of the top-seeded UCONN Huskies in the first round.
Prior to joining the Red Flash staff, Abel played three seasons overseas in Germany, Sweden and Romania. She was named a single-game MVP in both the German and Swedish leagues while helping lead Alba lulia to the Central European Women’s Basketball League title and led the team in assists during her final professional season.
Abel, a four-year letterwinner for the Duquesne women’s basketball team, was a part of the most successful class in the Dukes’ history. She was named All-Atlantic-10 Second Team as well as being honored to the A-10 All-Defensive Team. Abel graduated with a degree in criminal justice and psychology and earned her Master’s in concentrated leadership from Duquesne.
