Trudi Lacey named Mystics General Manager/Head Coach

From Mystics HQ....Julie Plank gone too? Wow:

For Immediate Release
November 1, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment vice chairman and Mystics president and managing partner, Sheila C. Johnson announced today that Trudi Lacey has been named the team’s general manager and head coach. Lacey joined the team in 2009 as an assistant coach. In 2010 she was promoted to director of basketball operations. She replaces Angela Taylor whose contract recently expired and Julie Plank who will not return to the team.

“We appreciate the patience of our fans as we moved through this process. We were in discussion with Julie about a joint gm/coach role as well as our philosophy moving forward. Julie only wanted to coach the team and both sides agreed to part ways. I am excited to have Trudi Lacey as our general manager and head coach. She is a leader that brings a great deal of experience to her new position, having previously served as the general manager and head coach of the Charlotte Sting. She is very familiar with our team as she has been part of our organization for the last two years. We had a fantastic season and our fan support was tremendous. All of us are excited to begin 2011. Our franchise is 100% committed to taking the next step, and we are excited to have our fans take it with us,” stated Johnson.

Lacey brings a wealth of experience to her new position. She was the head coach and general manager of the Charlotte Sting from 2003-2006 and has had coaching stints at the University of Maryland, the University of South Florida, NAIA Francis Marion College, Manhattan College and James Madison University. She recently was the head coach at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina.

"I would like to thank Ted Leonsis, Sheila Johnson and the entire Mystics organization for the opportunity to coach an extraordinary group of young ladies in front of the best fans in the WNBA,” said Lacey. “We will continue to work hard to continue to build on the success of the past two seasons."

She played for the legendary Kay Yow at North Carolina State University where she was an All-America basketball player. Her jersey was retired by the school in 2000, and she was named to the ACC All-Legend Team. She was a key contributor with USA Basketball working with the gold medal men’s and women’s basketball teams at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.