Seeking new leadership to stabilize a women’s basketball program which has mostly disappointed for over a decade, Penn State will turn to a program legend and 14-year WNBA veteran.
Tanisha Wright, a West Mifflin native, was named coach of the Lady Lions by athletic director Pat Kraft on Thursday. She will be formally introduced Tuesday.
Wright, 42, replaces Carolyn Kieger, who was fired March 5 after seven seasons, an 84-123 overall record and zero NCAA Tournament appearances.
“Penn State women’s basketball has a proud history, a strong tradition and a standard of excellence,” Kraft said in a statement. “Tanisha Wright embodies everything this program stands for. She is one of the greatest to ever wear a Lady Lion uniform, and she went on to spend 19 years competing and coaching at the highest level of women’s professional basketball, including winning a championship as a player.
“She knows what winning looks like, she knows what it demands and she understands what our fans and this university expect on the court, in the classroom and in the community. As we begin this exciting new chapter with Coach Wright at the helm, her leadership, experience and deep connection to Penn State will be instrumental in building upon our proud tradition and returning this program to the national stage where it belongs.”
As a player at Penn State from 2001-05, Wright earned three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors (2003-05), leading the Lady Lions to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Sweet 16 (2002, 2003) and Elite Eight (2004).
Wright played 134 games for Penn State, ranking second all-time among its women’s basketball players, while her 771 made field goals ranks fifth. She was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.
A 2001 West Mifflin graduate, Wright ended her prep career with 2,477 points, 1,100 rebounds, 594 assists and a WPIAL title as a senior. She was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2018.
Wright was chosen 12th overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2005 WNBA Draft, playing with the team through 2014.
Later stops over her 457-game WNBA career included the New York Liberty (2015-16, 2019) and Minnesota Lynx (2018).
In 2010, Wright started 34 games for Minnesota, averaging 9.2 points and 4.5 assists per game while winning a WNBA title. Five times (2009-2011, 2013, 2014) she was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team.
From 2020-21, Wright served as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces before taking over as coach of the Atlanta Dream from 2022-24.
Coaching 116 games with Atlanta, the Dream qualified for the playoffs twice but lost in the first round in both 2023 and 2024. Overall, Wright went 48-68 as a WNBA head coach.
Now, she returns to take over a Penn State program which hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2013-14.
“Penn State will always be home to me, and it is an incredible honor to return to this program as head coach,” Wright said. “This university shaped me as a student-athlete, and I understand the pride, tradition and expectations that come with wearing the Lady Lion uniform. I’m grateful to President (Neeli) Bendapudi, Pat Kraft and the entire Penn State community for their trust.
“I’m excited to invest in our student-athletes, compete at the highest level and build a program that reflects the values, toughness and excellence that define Penn State women’s basketball.”
Wright previously served as an assistant with the Chicago Sky of the WNBA (2025) and played professionally overseas in Israel, France, Poland and Turkey.
