BREAKING: Marianne Stanley is the Indiana Fever’s new head coach

The Indiana Fever announced during a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 26, that they have hired Marianne Stanley, former assistant coach with the Washington Mystics during their historic 2019 championship-winning season, as the team’s new head coach.

According to the team’s press release:

Stanley, a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the great names in women’s basketball as both a coach and a player, has served as an assistant with the Washington Mystics since 2010 and helped head coach Mike Thibault lead the Mystics to the 2019 WNBA championship. In 2002 as head coach of the Mystics, she was named WNBA Coach of the Year.

The Fever also announced that Tamika Catchings, “currently the vice president of basketball operations, will expand her duties to include serving as general manager.”

Of Stanley’s appointment to head coach, Catchings said:

We are excited to bring Marianne Stanley in as our Indiana Fever Head Coach. Stanley is hands down one of the most decorated and experienced coaches in the WNBA. The thing that excites me most is her ability to see and teach the game. Coming off the Mystics’ championship run this year, she brings a championship type mentality and knows what it takes to win – both on and off the court. The focus since the season ended has been finding the right leader for our team and organization. We are on the right path with Marianne.

Stanley’s resume, as player and coach, is impressive:

Stanley takes over after the Indiana front office parted ways with Pokey Chatman on Sept. 9, one day after her Fever finished the 2019 season on a two-game winning streak, but with an upside-down 13-21 record and two games out of playoff contention. The Fever finished 6-28 in 2018 (last in the league) under Chatman, and 9-25 in 2017 (eleventh).