Tina Thompson

High School: Tina Thompson

Tina Thompson was born on February 10, 1975 in Los Angeles, California. She attended Morningside High School in Inglewood, California, where she played basketball, volleyball, and track. Thompson earned four varsity letters in basketball and was named All-CIF, All-City, and All-State. Additionally, the Los Angeles Times named her Player of the Year in 1993.

NCAA TINA

Subsequently, Thompson attended the University of Southern California (USC), where she played basketball for four years. She started all four years and led the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament annually. Thompson made the All-Pac-10 First Team three times and won Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1997. She also won the Wade Trophy for the best women’s college basketball player. Here are some more of Thompson’s college achievements:

• Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year (1997)
• Kodak All-America First Team (1997)
• USBWA All-America First Team (1997)
• NABC All-America First Team (1997)
• WBCA All-America First Team (1997)
• Honda Sports Award for Basketball (1997)
• NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1994)
• Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year (1996, 1997)
• Pac-10 Conference Tournament MVP (1996, 1997)
• Pac-10 Conference All-Academic First Team (1996, 1997)
• USC Athletics Hall of Fame (2005)
• Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2019)

Professional: Tina Thompson

The Houston Comets selected Thompson first overall in the 1997 WNBA Draft. She played 14 seasons for the Comets, winning four championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000). Additionally, Thompson made seven WNBA All-Star teams and won Finals MVP in 1999. She retired in 2011 as the league’s all-time top scorer. Her pro achievements include:

• WNBA Rookie of the Year (1997)
• WNBA All-Rookie First Team (1997)
• WNBA All-WNBA First Team (2000)
• WNBA All-WNBA Second Team (1999, 2001, 2002)
• WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2000)
• WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2000)
• WNBA Finals MVP (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)

Thompson’s versatility and consistent performance made her a cornerstone of the league for 17 seasons.

Olympic Glory and International Play

Thompson’s talents extended beyond the WNBA. She represented Team USA in the Olympics, securing gold medals in 2004 and 2008. Additionally, she played professionally overseas in Italy, Korea, and Russia, winning championships in each country.

Thompson’s Transition to Coaching

After retiring as a player, Thompson embarked on a coaching career. She served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas from 2015 to 2018. In 2018, Thompson took on her first head coaching role at the University of Virginia.

Thompson’s Tenure at Virginia

Thompson was appointed as the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball team on April 16, 2018[1]. She became the fifth head coach in the program’s 44-year history. However, her time at Virginia was marked by struggles:

– Thompson compiled a disappointing 30-63 record over four seasons[2].

– The team failed to finish in the top half of the ACC standings during her tenure[2].

– In her final season (2021-22), the Cavaliers posted a 5-22 overall record and went 2-16 in ACC play[4].

Termination from Virginia

On March 3, 2022, Virginia’s athletic director Carla Williams announced the termination of Thompson’s contract with one year remaining[2][3]. Williams cited the program’s lack of success as the reason for the decision, stating:

“Unfortunately, we have not experienced the kind of success this program has come to expect and deserve[2].”

Current Status

Tina Thompson Coaching Status

As of 2024, Tina Thompson is not currently coaching at any institution. After her dismissal from Virginia in 2022, there have been no public announcements about her taking on a new coaching role. Thompson’s last known position in basketball was her head coaching job at the University of Virginia.

Given her illustrious playing career and Hall of Fame status, it’s possible that Thompson may pursue other coaching opportunities in the future. However, as of now, she is not actively coaching at any level.