Tynesha Lewis

Tynesha Lewis
UNC Asheville Bulldogs
PositionHead coach
LeagueBig South Conference
Personal information
Born (1979-05-08) May 8, 1979 (age 45)
Macclesfield, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight152 lb (69 kg)
Career information
High schoolSouthwest Edgecombe
(Pinetops, North Carolina)
CollegeNC State (1997–2001)
WNBA draft2001: 2nd round, 31st overall pick
Selected by the Houston Comets
Playing career2001–2006
PositionGuard
Number20, 1
Coaching career2011–present
Career history
As player:
20012002Houston Comets
20032005Charlotte Sting
20052006Minnesota Lynx
As coach:
2011–2012NC State (graduate assistant)
2012–2013Illinois State (assistant
2017–2020North Carolina Central (assistant)
2020–2024Elizabeth City State
2024–presentUNC Asheville
Career highlights and awards
  • ACC All-Freshman Team (1998)
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Tynesha Rashaun Lewis (born May 8, 1979)[1] is an American former professional women's basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Lewis was born in Macclesfield, North Carolina and graduated in 2001 from North Carolina State University.[1] She was the president of the Mu Omicron Chapter of her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta.

Following her collegiate career, she was selected the 21st overall pick by the Houston Comets in the 2001 WNBA draft.[2] She also played for the Charlotte Sting and Minnesota Lynx before retiring in 2007.[3]

In 2003, she started her own business, a non-profit organization called Itsdoable, Inc., which features motivational speaking and youth programs.[4]

Lewis has been the head women's basketball coach at Elizabeth City State University since 2021, winning the CIAA tournament in 2023.[5]

In April 2024, Lewis was named the head women's basketball coach at UNC Asheville.[6] Lewis had previously served as the head coach of the Elizabeth City State Vikings Women's basketball team,[7] with a team record of 61–29. They made it to the conference tournament championship game three straight years with one championship. She earned National Sports Media Association’s Clarence “Big House” Gaines coach of the year honors for Division II in 2023.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Tynesha Lewis Biography". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  2. ^ "Wolfpack's Lewis Drafted By WNBA's Houston Comets". NC State University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  3. ^ Newswire, HBCU Gameday (2020-05-07). "Elizabeth City State names former NC State star, WNBA player head coach". HBCU Gameday. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  4. ^ "Together we can". ItsDoable Inc. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  5. ^ Whitehurst, Domonique (2023-02-27). "Elizabeth City State manifests Tynesha Lewis' vision with CIAA title". HBCU Gameday. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  6. ^ "Tynesha Lewis Named UNC Asheville's Head Women's Basketball Coach". UNC Asheville Athletics. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  7. ^ "Former WNBA and Wolfpack Player Tynesha Lewis Named ECSU Women's Basketball Head Coach". Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  8. ^ Stevens, Chris (2023-04-26). "Tynesha Lewis, ECSU women's hoops coach, wins national award". Retrieved 2024-04-12.