Rutgers Women’s Basketball Names Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil To Assistant Coach Position

By Rutgers Athletics
Posted Wednesday, August 6, 2008

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Former National Player of the Year and All-American Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil has been named an assistant coach at Rutgers, University, it was announced by women’s basketball head coach C. Vivian Stringer this afternoon.

“Clarissa is an amazing addition to our staff," said Stringer. "She comes from a rich background, having played and worked for my close coaching confidante, Jody Conradt. Her resume is simply put, mind-blowing. Clarissa has achieved feats many only dream about during both their playing, coaching and professional careers. We are very excited to have her join our basketball family at Rutgers.”

During the 2006-07 season, Davis-Wrightsil was a member of the coaching staff of her alma mater, University of Texas. Prior to UT, she served as the Women’s Basketball Director of Development for the San Antonio Spurs organization (2000-02). Davis-Wrightsil was promoted to serve as Chief Operating Officer for the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars where she oversaw Spurs Sports & Entertainment in its successful campaign for a WNBA franchise. In the position, she oversaw the day-to-day business and basketball operations for the franchise from 2002-06. For her efforts, she was awarded the San Antonio Business Journal's 40 under 40 Rising Star given annually to key business leaders in the community.

A 2006 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Davis-Wrightsil starred at UT from 1985-89. She made an immediate impact upon stepping on the Austin campus, earning "Most Valuable Player" honors at the 1986 NCAA Women's Final Four. Davis helped lead Texas, with the first perfect record in NCAA women’s history (34-0), to the 1986 NCAA Championship. In the Final Four, Davis registered a combined 56 points and 32 rebounds in the two games.

Davis-Wrightsil was twice selected an All-American and was named National Player of the Year six times (Kodak, United States Basketball Writers Association, Naismith) during her collegiate career. The first All-American nod came as a sophomore when the San Antonio native averaged 18.6 points and 8.4 rebounds.

After a season-ending knee surgery in December of her junior season, Davis-Wrightsil rebounded her senior campaign with even more impressive numbers. She posted 26.3 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game en route to capturing the Margaret Wade Trophy, the Naismith Award and by the USBWA, Champion and Mercedes-Benz as the nation’s top player. In addition to the 1986 NCAA title, Davis-Wrightsil helped lead UT to the 1987 Final Four and two Elite Eight appearances. Among her numerous records, she closed her UT career first in scoring average (19.9 ppg), third all-time in scoring (2,008), fifth in field goal percentage (.539) and eighth in rebounding (882). Those astounding numbers were despite the fact she competed three full seasons.

In addition to the WBHOF, Davis-Wrightsil is a member of the UT Women’s Athletics Hall of Honor (2000), Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame (1997), Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame (2003) and the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame (2003). She was named Southwest Conference Athlete of the Decade (1989) and a member of the NCAA “Team of the Decade” for the 1980’s.

While a collegian, Davis-Wrightsil also starred for USA Basketball, grabbing gold medals at the 1986 World Championships and Goodwill Games, 1987 Pan American Games and an alternate for the 1988 Olympic Team. She was a member and second leading scorer of the bronze medal-winning 1992 U.S. Olympic team in Barcelona, averaging 13 points per game while setting the team record for 3-point shooting percentage.

Davis-Wrightsil played professionally in Europe and Asia (Italy, Japan, and Turkey) for seven seasons. While playing overseas, she was an All-Star, European Champion, Turkish (Fenerbache), Italian (Cesena) and Japanese (Kyoseki) Team MVP’s and leading scorer. Furthermore, she led her respective European and Asian teams to five league championships. Davis-Wrightsil starred for the U.S.’s first professional league for women’s basketball, the now-defunct American Basketball League, for two seasons where she was a selected as a "premier player" and an ABL All-Star. Davis-Wrightsil holds the record for most points (36) scored in an ABL finals game. She joined the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA in 1999, completing a 10-year pro playing career.

In 1985 coming out John Jay High School as the state’s prep player, Davis-Wrightsil was tabbed Texas “Miss Basketball.” She set the San Antonio girl’s and boy’s scoring record with a whopping 2,759 points.

Davis-Wrightsil has been married to Jerald Wrightsil for 16 years and together the two founded TeamXpress Foundation, which creates opportunities for girls to participate in basketball as a summertime activity. The mission of the sports-based mentoring organization is to empower girls through sport by providing positive role models; encouraging literacy, goal setting and community involvement. Jerald, a former collegiate standout and business major at the University of Hawaii, played professionally overseas in Europe and Asia for 10 seasons.