USC Women’s Basketball Brings In Nikki Blue As Assistant Coach
April 23, 2025 | Women's Basketball
A SoCal native, Blue is a veteran coach at the collegiate and WNBA levels.
LOS ANGELES — A veteran coach at collegiate and WNBA levels, Nikki Blue is joining Lindsay Gottlieb's women's basketball staff as an assistant coach, Gottlieb announced today. A Southern California native, Blue brings professional playing and coaching experience to her role with the Trojans.
"I'm thrilled for our team and the Trojan Family to be able to add someone of Nikki Blue's caliber to our coaching staff," Gottlieb said. "We have elite players who want to eventually become pros, so we wanted to add someone who has pro experience and who is also committed to pouring into young people on and off the court. Nikki also brings elite X and O experience and a winning character. Her life and basketball experiences will add immensely to the culture we've built and the direction we want to continue to go."
Blue comes to USC from the Los Angeles Sparks, where she served as an assistant coach following time as interim head coach for the Phoenix Mercury in the final 28 games of the 2023 WNBA Season. Her professional coaching career began with the Mercury as an assistant coach in 2022 after spending 16 seasons at the Division I collegiate level.
"I'm incredibly honored to join the USC women's basketball program and I'm deeply grateful to Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb for the opportunity to be part of a culture built on trust, authenticity, and excellence," Blue said. "I've always admired coach Gottlieb as a brilliant strategist and transformational leader whose impact goes beyond the game. Her consistent deep NCAA tournament runs and Final Four experience speaks volumes, but it's her authentic investment in her players that truly sets her apart."
A 2006 graduate of UCLA, Blue was a star guard for the Bruins before taking her talents to the WNBA for four seasons with the Washington Mystics followed by one with the New York Liberty. She also spent two seasons playing professionally in Turkey and Greece. From there, Blue entered the coaching ranks as an assistant coach at UNLV from 2008-14. She'd go from UNLV to Cal State Bakersfield, returning to her home town from 2014-17. Blue then served two seasons as an assistant coach at Grand Canyon from 2017-19 before heading to Arizona State from 2019-22.
"USC has become the premier destination in women's college basketball, and it's truly an honor to be part of a program with such a rich tradition. I'm incredibly excited to work alongside a staff I deeply respect and to help mentor and develop the next generation of great players," Blue added. "As someone who has both played and coached at the highest levels, I'm passionate about bringing my professional experience to this role. It is my passion to sharpen skill sets and share my knowledge, and it's a priority to contribute to a positive student-athlete experience. There's so much to look forward to, and I'm beyond excited to get to work."
As a collegiate player at UCLA, Blue earned All-Pac-10 First Team honors all four seasons and was an WBCA All-American as a senior. She also was a finalist for the 2006 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award before being drafted in the second round of the 2006 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics.
Blue joins a USC program that is coming off a 2024-25 season in which the Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season championship, earned a No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament and reached a second straight Elite Eight to finish with a 31-4 overall record.
"I'm thrilled for our team and the Trojan Family to be able to add someone of Nikki Blue's caliber to our coaching staff," Gottlieb said. "We have elite players who want to eventually become pros, so we wanted to add someone who has pro experience and who is also committed to pouring into young people on and off the court. Nikki also brings elite X and O experience and a winning character. Her life and basketball experiences will add immensely to the culture we've built and the direction we want to continue to go."
Blue comes to USC from the Los Angeles Sparks, where she served as an assistant coach following time as interim head coach for the Phoenix Mercury in the final 28 games of the 2023 WNBA Season. Her professional coaching career began with the Mercury as an assistant coach in 2022 after spending 16 seasons at the Division I collegiate level.
"I'm incredibly honored to join the USC women's basketball program and I'm deeply grateful to Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb for the opportunity to be part of a culture built on trust, authenticity, and excellence," Blue said. "I've always admired coach Gottlieb as a brilliant strategist and transformational leader whose impact goes beyond the game. Her consistent deep NCAA tournament runs and Final Four experience speaks volumes, but it's her authentic investment in her players that truly sets her apart."
A 2006 graduate of UCLA, Blue was a star guard for the Bruins before taking her talents to the WNBA for four seasons with the Washington Mystics followed by one with the New York Liberty. She also spent two seasons playing professionally in Turkey and Greece. From there, Blue entered the coaching ranks as an assistant coach at UNLV from 2008-14. She'd go from UNLV to Cal State Bakersfield, returning to her home town from 2014-17. Blue then served two seasons as an assistant coach at Grand Canyon from 2017-19 before heading to Arizona State from 2019-22.
"USC has become the premier destination in women's college basketball, and it's truly an honor to be part of a program with such a rich tradition. I'm incredibly excited to work alongside a staff I deeply respect and to help mentor and develop the next generation of great players," Blue added. "As someone who has both played and coached at the highest levels, I'm passionate about bringing my professional experience to this role. It is my passion to sharpen skill sets and share my knowledge, and it's a priority to contribute to a positive student-athlete experience. There's so much to look forward to, and I'm beyond excited to get to work."
As a collegiate player at UCLA, Blue earned All-Pac-10 First Team honors all four seasons and was an WBCA All-American as a senior. She also was a finalist for the 2006 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award before being drafted in the second round of the 2006 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics.
Blue joins a USC program that is coming off a 2024-25 season in which the Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season championship, earned a No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament and reached a second straight Elite Eight to finish with a 31-4 overall record.
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