Chelsea Newton Joins Rutgers Women's Basketball Coaching Staff
Jun 10 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (June 10, 2010) - Former Rutgers University women’s basketball standout Chelsea Newton has been named an assistant coach at her alma mater, Scarlet Knights head coach C. Vivian Stringer announced Thursday.
“There is no greater honor than to have one of your own come home,” said Stringer. “Former players possess qualities that are difficult to duplicate: loyalty, compassion, commitment and a true love for the program and the University. Chelsea bleeds Scarlet. As a player, she gave her all in every practice, every game and every day that she was a Scarlet Knight. I have no doubt she will do the same as a coach.”
“Having recently concluded my professional career, I am excited about beginning the next chapter in my life. That it starts with an opportunity to be a part of Coach Stringer’s staff is surreal,” Newton said of her return to the Banks. “I am extremely thrilled and look forward to working with a tremendous group of young women and sharing my experiences with them.”
Newton starred for the Scarlet Knights from 2001-2005, earning the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year trophy her final collegiate season. The Monroe, La. native started 95 of 104 games over her RU career, scoring in double-digits in 50 games while consistently earning the toughest match-up on defense.
With a collegiate lifetime field goal percentage of .430 (362-of-842), Newton closed her career averaging 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She was named a first team All-Met selection and third team All-BIG EAST honoree in ’05.
Newton was drafted in the second round (22nd overall) in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Sacramento Monarchs. In her first season, she started all 34 games (4.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg) in helping lead the Monarchs to the WNBA Championship and earning a place on the All-Rookie squad.
In total, Newton played five WNBA seasons - four with Sacramento and one with the Chicago Sky - logging 19.4 minutes per game while averaging 5.1 points. Having been picked up by the Seattle Storm in the 2009 dispersal draft, Newton officially announced her retirement on April 27.
Her accomplishments were not limited stateside as Newton enjoyed playing success overseas. Newton played in Italy's Serie A1 with Liomatic Umbertide during the 2009-10 offseason and averaged 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Her first stint in Italy was during the 2007-08 season in which Newton played for Carispe La Speziaa, averaging a team-best 15.8 points and 4.9 rebounds. She was a member of the Raanana Hertzliya team (Israel) in 2005 and played for Lotos Gdynia (Poland) in 2006.
While playing in the WNBA and overseas, Newton was active in the community. She participated in community service efforts with mentally challenged adults in Italy and in the U.S. was a member of the NBA Cares program. That effort involved helping to build a playground at a local neighborhood and volunteering at homeless shelters in the Sacramento area.
This will be Newton’s second stint on the RU bench. She previously served as Director of Player Development during the 2006-07 season which saw the Scarlet Knights advance to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship final. Her duties included organizing scouting material and coordination of film exchange, as well as aiding in team travel.
A WBCA and Parade High School All-American, Newton was twice named Northeast Louisiana Player of the Year out of Carroll High School. She was a three-time All-State selection on the playing court and graduated as the school’s valedictorian.
“Beyond the stats, Chelsea was a great student of the game - on the court and in the classroom,” Stringer said.
“I believe I have a greater purpose to not only coach, but also to prepare young women for life and its challenges. Chelsea is proof of that notion as she is returning home a refined young woman. She achieved success on the college and pro level, traveled the world and now we welcome her back.”
Newton earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies from Rutgers in 2005. In 2004, she was the inaugural winner of the Chelsea Newton Scarlet Heart Award. Since then, current student athletes have been presented with the honor which is given to the women’s basketball player who bestexemplifies perseverance, courage and overcoming adversity.
“I don’t want this to come off as cliché, but I truly grasp what is signified by wearing the Rutgers uniform,” Newton added. “This is a very special place - the school, the program and the entire state. It was a dream of mine to play for Coach Stringer and I know she not only shaped me as a player, but also as a young woman. I cannot wait to share that message and my vision.”
Stringer, who begins her 40thseason on the sidelines this fall, has had at least one former player on her staff for the past 27-straight seasons.
