Karleen Thompson
Karleen M. Thompson (née Shields; born July 1, 1968) is the associate head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team since 2018. Before joining the Cavaliers, Thompson was a WNBA head coach for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2004 and the Houston Comets from 2007 to 2008. Additionally, Thompson was an assistant coach for the Clemson Tigers women's basketball team from 2010 to 2013 and the Atlanta Dream from 2013 to 2017. Early life and education In 1968, Thompson was born in California. While attending high school in Snyder, Texas, Thompson played on the volleyball and basketball teams. For her post-secondary education, Thompson continued playing basketball with Contra Costa College in 1991 before moving to the USC Trojans women's basketball team in 1993. Career After completing her social sciences degree at the University of Southern California in 1996, Thompson joined Gatorade as a sports marketer. The following year, Thompson started her Women's National Basketball Association career when she became a manager for the Los Angeles Sparks in 1997. With the Sparks, Thompson moved to assistant coach in 2002 before she was named one of the team's interim head coaches in 2004 after the resignation of head coach Michael Cooper.