NEW ORLEANS – It may be the offseason, but Tulane women’s basketball assistant coach Doshia Woods has been keeping busy with leadership conferences and speaking engagements since April.
The Green Wave assistant, about to begin her 10th year on the Tulane staff, was in Tampa, Florida, in early April during the Women’s Final Four taking part in the Women Coaches NEXT UP event. Woods was also back in Tampa on May 8-9 for the NCAA Basketball Academy, and on May 14 was the keynote speaker at the Salvation Army Lifetime Luncheon in her hometown of Topeka, Kansas.
“I’m constantly looking for programs that promote growth both as a coach and person,” Woods said. “I was honored to be nominated and selected to attend NEXT UP & the NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy. As an aspiring head coach, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to grow, learn and expand by attending these amazing programs.”
The Women Coaches NEXT UP program in April at the Final Four was open only to women’s basketball college assistant coaches with at least three years of full-time coaching experience.
Run by the Women Leaders in College Sports and in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, the program was created to promote the advancement and retention of female basketball coaches in college athletics. Participants in the NEXT UP program learned from college athletics administrators on how to get noticed and advance their careers during the half-day workshop.
One month later, Woods was back in Tampa to take part in the prestigious NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy. Only 30 coaches in the nation from men’s and women’s basketball’s three divisions combined are selected for that program every year.
At the Coaches Academy, Woods had the opportunity to get better insight and grow her knowledge of basketball coaching. Topics at the two-day event included communication with campus and community members building a culture of on- and off-court success for student-athletes, budget management and coaching strategies.
Shortly after that, Woods returned home to Topeka where she was the keynote speaker at the Salvation Army Luncheon on May 14.
In her speech, Woods reflected on growing up in Topeka and how her family utilized various services provided at that branch of the Salvation Army. She was able to share the impact of the Salvation Army on her childhood and also helped recap the successes of the branch’s last year.
“Being the keynote speaker for the Salvation Army’s Lifeline Luncheon was such a humbling honor,” Woods said. “It gave me a chance to share my childhood adversity in hopes to inspire and encourage others who my face similar circumstances.”
There’s still plenty of summer left for the Green Wave women’s basketball team, but the 2019-20 season will begin in November. The team will return nine players from last season’s roster including rising junior Krystal Freeman who was named to Second Team All-Conference the league’s Most Improved Player last season. Dynah Jones, a member of the All-Freshman team last year, will be back as well.
Tulane will return 79 percent of its scoring, 75 percent of its rebounding and 86 percent of its assists from 2017-18.
Tulane is also adding three new freshmen to the roster in Salma Bates (New Orleans), Anijah Grant (Orlando, Florida) and Irina Parau (Romania). Also getting her first taste of playing time this season will be Dene Mimms, who redshirted as true freshman last year. The program recently announced the addition of ULM transfer Arsula Grant, who was named Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference last year.