Coach Gaines |
Corey Gaines is The BCA Coach of the Week!
Sept. 22, 2009
Behind Diana Taurasi's 30 points and coach Corey Gaines instinctive coaching the Phoenix Mercury advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 100-92 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars in Game 3 of their opening round series Monday night.
Taurasi and Tangela Smith each scored five points during the Mercurys 14-4 run that gave Phoenix an 86-76 lead with 5:14 remaining. Taurasi also finished with six assists.
The top-seeded Mercury will open the West finals against the Los Angeles Sparks at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday night.
Coach Corey Gaines who is the successor of Paul Westhead is in his second season as the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury. Gaines played collegiately at Loyola Marymount University under Westhead during his senior season of 1987-88 after transferring from UCLA. Gaines averaged 17.4 points per game that season as a teammate of Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers. Gaines also played professionally under Westhead with the NBA's Denver Nuggets and the Long Beach Jam of the ABA. Gaines served as an assistant coach for Westhead with the Jam and eventually became the head coach in 2005, as well as a Mercury assistant in 2006.
Originally drafted by the Seattle Super Sonics, Gaines spent time with the Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.
Courtesy of WNBA.com
