The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Last updated Oct. 23, 2006
Full Name: Clarissa Glennet Davis-Wrightsil
Date of Birth: June 4, 1967
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
High School: John Jay HS, San Antonio, Texas
College: University of Texas, 1985-89 (B.A. in communications)
One of the most decorated and honored players in the history of women's basketball will make her collegiate coaching debut this year on the Longhorns sidelines, as UT welcomes former Olympic, National Player of the Year and professional star Davis-Wrightsil back to her alma mater.
Davis-Wrightsil, a six-time national Player of the Year for Jody Conradt from 1985-89 and a 1992 USA Olympian, was named Texas women's basketball assistant coach on May 31, 2006. The spring of 2006 was a special one for Davis-Wrightsil, as her coaching appointment at UT followed her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in April. Clarissa became the third member of the UT basketball program enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining Conradt and her former teammate Kamie Ethridge. Prior to returning to her alma mater, Davis served as an executive with the NBA San Antonio Spurs and the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars.
"When I knew we had a vacancy on our staff to fill, Clarissa's name was first on my list," noted Conradt in announcing her appointment. "Her passion and love for The University of Texas and basketball are unmatched. This is a special opportunity for Clarissa to be in a role of influence over young players and she will do an outstanding job."
Wrightsil-Davis was hired in 2000 by the Spurs organization to secure a WNBA franchise for San Antonio - her hometown city. For two years, Davis-Wrightsil served as Director of Development for Women's Basketball, spending countless hours in the community and behind the scenes creating awareness and excitement about women's basketball in San Antonio. She was the driving force which brought the Silver Stars franchise to the city in 2003.
After the team was awarded, Clarissa served as the franchise's Chief Operating Officer where she oversaw business and basketball operations for the franchise until the spring of 2006. Davis-Wrightsil also served as the Director of the Coalition for Women's Basketball in her native city. Behind Davis-Wrightsil's leadership, the Silver Stars ranked first in the WNBA in group sales and second in sponsorship sales in 2005.
The UT great made an immediate mark as a Longhorn freshman when she gained "Most Outstanding Player" honors at the 1986 NCAA Women's Final Four, helping lead Texas to the 1986 NCAA Championship with the first perfect record (34-0) in NCAA women's history. In the Final Four, Davis registered 56 points and 32 rebounds (32 points/18 rebounds vs. Western Kentucky in the semifinals, followed by 24 points/14 rebounds in the 97-81 title win over Southern Cal).
Davis went on to earn acclaim as an All-American in 1987 and 1989 and was tabbed National Player of the Year six times during her illustrious UT career, helping lead Conradt's squad to the 1987 NCAA Final Four and to two "Elite Eight" appearances during her junior and senior campaigns (1988, 1989).
Davis earned Naismith National Player of the Year honors as a sophomore with 18.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and followed that by sweeping all the National Player of the Year honors two years later as a senior in 1988-89. That feat was even that more remarkable considering that during her junior year in 1987-88, Davis went down with a season-ending knee injury in December (after nine games) which required reconstructive surgery.
Clarissa fought back to post career bests of 26.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a senior, leading the 27-5 UT squad to the NCAA Elite Eight. In doing so, Davis was honored with the Margaret Wade Trophy, the Naismith Award, and by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, Champion and Mercedes-Benz as the nation's best player.
Her All-America honors came from Kodak, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and Naismith in 1986-87 and 1988-89. Clarissa also claimed recognition on both the NCAA and Southwest Conference "Team of the Decade" (1980s) and was the MVP of the SWC squad.
Among her numerous records, Davis-Wrightsil finished her UT career first in scoring average (19.9 ppg), No. 3 in all-time scoring (2,008), No. 5 in field goal percentage (.539) and No. 8 in rebounding (882).
While at Texas, Davis also starred for USA Basketball, earning gold medals at the 1986 World Championships and the 1987 Pan American Games. Following graduation, she also starred on the bronze medal-winning 1992 U.S. Olympic team in Barcelona, averaging 13 points per game while setting the team record for 3-point shooting percentage. In 1994, she was a member of Team USA's gold-medalist Goodwill Games squad and bronze-medalist World Championship team.
As a professional basketball player, Davis-Wrightsil played in Europe and Asia from 1989-96. In 1996, she returned stateside and played in the now disbanded American Basketball League before joining the WNBA Phoenix Mercury team in 1999. The San Antonio native was selected Texas "Miss Basketball" in 1985 as the state's top prep player while starring at John Jay High School. She set the San Antonio girl's and boy's scoring record with 2,759 points.
Davis-Wrightsil and her husband, Jerald Wrightsil, reside in Austin, Texas. Jerald was a basketball standout at the University of Hawaii and went on to play professionally in Japan, Turkey, and Austria.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE/HONORS
University of Texas ... 1985-89
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee... 2006
ESPN.com's "Top 25 Player of the in NCAA Basketball History" ... 2006
U.S. Olympic Team (bronze-medalist) ...1992
USA Basketball World Championship Team (gold medal) ...1986
6-time National Player of the Year (Margaret Wade Trophy, Naismith,
U.S. B'ball Writers Assoc., Champion, Mercedes-Benz) ... 1987, 1989
6-time All-American (Kodak, USBWA, Naismith) ... 1987, 1989
NCAA "Team of the Decade" (1980s) ... 1990
NCAA Final Four MVP ... 1986
Southwest Conference Team of the Decade and MVP ... 1989
Southwest Conference Player of the Year ... 1988-89
Three-year All-Southwest Conference ...1987-90
WNBA: Phoenix Mercury ... 1999
ABL: New England Blizzard, Long Beach Stingrays, San Jose Laser ... 1996-98
European Pro Leagues (Italy, Japan, Turkey) ... 1989-96
Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame inductee ...1997
UT Women's Athletics Hall of Honor ... 2000
The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame ... 2003
San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame ... 2003
PROFESSIONAL/COLLEGE COACHING/ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
Assistant Coach, University of Texas ... 2006-present
WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars Chief Operating Officer ... 2002-06
NBA's San Antonio Spurs Director of Development for Women's Basketball ... 2000-02
San Antonio's Dir. of the Coalition for Women's Basketball ... 2000-06
