CHICAGO (February 20, 2024) — The Chicago Sky have hired Crystal Robinson as assistant coach under Head Coach Teresa Weatherspoon, the team announced today.
“Assistant Coach Robinson will be an outstanding addition to the Sky coaching staff,” Chicago Sky Head Coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “Crystal brings extensive WNBA coaching and playing experience to the Sky, and I am thrilled to reunite with her to uphold a winning culture in Chicago.”
With over a decade of coaching experience, Robinson comes to Chicago after serving as assistant coach with Phoenix (2022), then previously with Washington (2007), Seattle (2018) — where she won a WNBA Championship with the Storm — and Dallas (2019). Her coaching experience also includes roles at McAlester High School in her hometown of Oklahoma (2009-10), where she guided the Lady Buffaloes to a 5A Oklahoma State title in her only season at the helm. She then became head coach Murray State College (2010-13), where she cemented a 79-37 overall coaching record with the Lady. Aggies.
Robinson then joined the coaching staff at Utah State (2013-14) and TCU (2015-16) before eventually returning back to the WNBA to coach with Seattle.
Prior to her coaching career, she had a standout collegiate career at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Okla. She was named a three-time NAIA First-Team All-American, NAIA Women’s Basketball National Player of the Year (1999), led the nation in scoring (1994-95) and currently holds the title for the program’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
After spending the next two years in the ABL with the Colorado Xplosion, the Oklahoma native was selected sixth overall in the 1999 WNBA Draft by New York. She spent seven seasons with the Liberty, helping lead them to three WNBA Finals appearances before signing with Washington. She spent two seasons with the Mystics before retiring in 2007 to become an assistant coach with the team.