A former WNBA All-Star and one of the top players in UConn women’s basketball history, Nykesha Sales joined UCF’s coaching staff in June 2016, marking her first Division I coaching position. In her three seasons at UCF, she has helped guide the Knights to three consecutive postseason appearances, including the program’s first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2018-19. Sales played for the Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun from 1999-2007 and was selected as an eight-time WNBA All-Star. Sales led the Connecticut Sun to two WNBA Finals and still reigns as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer (3,955 points; 14.3 ppg), which ranks among the WNBA’s all-time top 30. In addition, she finished her career with 1,157 rebounds, 683 assists and 490 steals. Sales, who has lived in Orlando for the past 14 years, played professionally in Europe during WNBA off seasons in the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Prague, Turkey and Bosnia. She has also devoted her time as an ambassador and guest coach for NBA Basketball Without Borders and the U.S. Sports Envoy Program. Using basketball clinics and community outreach to create positive social change within these programs, she impacted more than 2,500 children in countries including Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Venezuela, South Korea and Haiti from 2009-15. Sales graduated from UConn in 1998 with a degree in business management. She left as the Huskies’ all-time leading scorer and still ranks among their top five with 2,178 points. In addition, she owns the school record for career steals (447). Her stellar career at UConn was highlighted by the 1995 NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Championship, a Final Four appearance in 1996 and two Elite 8 berths. Sales was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women’s basketball “Huskies of Honor” recognition program. From 2013-16, she worked with the Connecticut Sun as a community liaison.
