Phoenix Mercury add Iowa women's basketball legend to coaching staff
As the 2026 WNBA season approaches, the Phoenix Mercury have added a former franchise icon and Iowa women's basketball legend, Tangela Smith, to their coaching staff as an assistant coach. As many Hawkeyes fans recall, Smith was a standout for the Hawkeyes from 1994-98 at what is now essentially the power forward position, posting a career average of 13. 5 points per game on 51.
0% shooting. Smith also averaged 7. 3 rebounds, 2.
0 blocks, 1. 5 assists, and 1. 2 steals per game across 118 games.
Through her stellar play, she guided the Hawkeyes to a pair of Big Ten Conference regular-season championships (1996 and 1998) and a Big Ten Tournament title in 1997. Smith also earned 1997 All-Big Ten honorable mention status, first-team All-Big Ten honors in 1996 and 1998, 1998 Kodak/WBCA All-America honorable mention, and won the Big Ten Player of the Year award in 1998. Smith is a 2019 inductee into the National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to Iowa alum and Hall of Famer, Tangela Smith! šš¤ https://t. co/7jhsA2XY8u ā Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 2, 2026 Smith, a 15-year WNBA veteran, played 463 career regular-season games and averaged 10.