Pepperdine women’s basketball head coach Ryan Weisenberg recalls one constant during his years as an assistant coach with the WNBA championship-winning Los Angeles Sparks — front court player DeLisha Milton-Jones in the middle of the Sparks’ huddle amping her teammates up for games.
“She would be the heart in the middle of the circle,” he said. “When I was with the Sparks, we were a team full of superstars. Usually that doesn’t work, but DeLisha was the glue. She got everyone pumped up.”
Weisenberg is expecting Milton-Jones to bring her energy and more to the Waves this upcoming season. Last week, Milton-Jones, one of the top players in WNBA history, was announced as the newest member of Weisenberg’s coaching staff.
Pepperdine’s hiring of Milton-Jones for an assistant coach position comes four months after Lacey Burns left the program to become the head coach at Concordia University in Irvine.
Milton-Jones said it is an honor to be an assistant coach for the Pepperdine women’s hoops team.
“I look forward to the opportunities for success that are ahead of us as a program,” she said. “Coach Weisenberg and his staff are a unique group of coaches that have had success all across the globe. I am very excited to add to the excellence that is already within this program.”
Milton-Jones brings a bevy of basketball experience and accolades to the Waves’ sideline. After an outstanding college basketball career at the University of Florida and a one-year stint in the defunct ABL, Milton-Jones was drafted in the 1999 WNBA draft by the Sparks.
During her outstanding career, Milton-Jones won two Olympic gold medals, back-to-back WNBA titles and was named to three WNBA All-Star teams. The 6-foot-1 player ended her 17-year playing career ranked ninth all-time in WNBA points scored (5,571), sixth in rebounds (2,574), fifth in steals (619) and 15th in blocks (339).
Milton-Jones averaged 11.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in her WNBA career, which ended last summer with the Atlanta Dream.
The newest Waves coach also spent time playing overseas. She is a two-time Euro League champion and ranked third for most points scored in Euro League history. She was named the best foreign player twice and league MVP for numerous countries.
Weisenburg and Milton-Jones won back-to-back WNBA titles in 2000 and 2001 with the Sparks.
Weisenburg said he looks forward to Milton-Jones coaching and training the Waves’ post players.
“She is going to make an immediate impact,” he said. “She is going to give them that head-start they need.”
The head coach said Milton-Jones’ strengths of rebounding and playing defensive on the court will also play a hand in her job on the Pepperdine bench.
“I’m going to groom her to help take over the defense and focus in on rebounding,” Weisenburg said. “That is one thing that has really hurt us the last couple of years. Her focus is going to be on charting rebounds and getting the girls to love rebounding.”
Weisenburg said before Milton-Jones was hired, she played pick-up games with the Pepperdine players.
“The girls are extremely excited,” Weisenburg said. “She would give the girls tips and got them pumped up for open gym, which made the open gym runs way more competitive.”
Weisenburg is ready for Milton-Jones to get the Waves excited before contests.
“She brings the unbridled enthusiasm that is just contagious,” he said. “That is something we really wanted. She is the heart and soul of most teams when it comes to getting players pumped up.”
Milton-Jones is the third Waves assistant coach. The others are Josh Pace and Darron Larsen.
Milton-Jones said the tenacity and leadership she showed during her playing career are the main characteristics of excellence she wants to bring to Pepperdine.
“I have an intense love of the game that I truly want to become contagious within this program,” she said.