Entirely female, former-player coaching staff to lead Phoenix roster
PHOENIX – The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury today announced the additions of former WNBA player and Arizona State University assistant coach Nikki Blue and UC Irvine assistant coach Cinnamon Lister to the team’s coaching staff ahead of the 2022 WNBA season. Blue and Lister join head coach Vanessa Nygaard’s staff alongside previously announced lead assistant coach Crystal Robinson. The all-female, former player coaching staff will lead the 2022 Phoenix Mercury roster ahead of its 26th season.
Mercury Head Coach Vanessa Nygaard: “We are thrilled to have Nikki Blue and Cinnamon Lister join our coaching staff. Their vast experience and tactical knowledge as both former players and coaches will add great value for our players and help our team achieve success. As a former player, it was important to me to give opportunities to fellow players and bring in coaches with new voices that are reflective of the league.”
Blue joins the Mercury coaching staff with more than 14 years of coaching experience, most recently joining from national powerhouse Arizona State (2019-22) where she served as an assistant coach under Charlie Turner Thorne. Prior to joining Turner Thorne’s staff at ASU, Blue was the head assistant and recruiting coordinator at Grand Canyon University (2017-19), where she oversaw the program’s domestic and international recruiting, scouting and planning, served as the top assistant at CSU Bakersfield (2014-17) and spent six years as an assistant coach at UNVL (2008-14).
Prior to her coaching career, Blue was a standout player at UCLA, earning Pac-10 first team honors all four years (2002-06). Blue finished her Bruins career ranked fifth on the all-time school scoring list (1,797), second on all-time assists (602), third on all-time steals (325), second on free throws made (455) and fourth on all-time three-points made (114). Blue became just the second Bruin in history, joining Hall of Famer Ann Meyers, to record over 1,300 and 400 assists and was nominated for the Nancy Lieberman Award honoring the nation’s top point guard.
Following a decorated collegiate career, Blue was selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics where she spent four (2006-10) seasons, playing her rookie season alongside Mercury lead assistant coach Crystal Robinson prior to Robinson’s transition to Washington’s coaching staff. Blue played overseas for two professional teams in Turkey and Greece prior to ending her playing career with the New York Liberty (2011).
Lister joins the Mercury coaching staff with more than six years of coaching experience, most recently joining from UC Irvine (2019-22) where she served as an assistant coach. While at UCI, Lister helped the Anteaters to their best Big West finish since 1997-98, making its first appearance in the Big West Tournament championship game in 24 years. Prior to her arrival at UCI, Lister spent one season as an assistant at Princeton (2018-19) where she helped the Tigers claim the 2019 Ivy League regular season and tournament championships. Lister was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 for the 2019-20 season.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Lister was a standout player at CSU Northridge, where she was part of the 2014 and 2015 Matador teams that won back-to-back Big West Tournaments, earning all-conference recognition both years. Lister finished her CSUN career third on the all-time three points made (154) and fifth on the all-time three-point attempts list (405). Following her collegiate career, Lister played overseas for three different professional teams in Morocco and Cyprus.
Led by the 2021 Olympic gold-medal winning quartet of Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Tina Charles, and coming off the club’s fifth WNBA Finals appearance in franchise history, the three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury return to Footprint Center this summer, tipping off the season with Fry’s Food Stores Opening Night on Friday, May 6, against the Las Vegas Aces.