WPBA Staff

Front Office

Toni West

Head Of Communications

Toni West comes to the Women’s Premier Basketball Association with over 15 years of collegiate coaching experience. Her coaching resume includes stints at CSU East Bay, Dominican University, Delta College and Shepherd University. In 2015, West served as the girl’s head basketball coach at Moreau Catholic High School until 2018. After completing her Administrative Credential in Education with a focus in Social Justice from CSU East Bay, she moved into leadership and now works as an Assistant Principal of Climate and Culture.

West earned her Bachelor’s from San Jose University in Communications with a minor in journalism, and a Master’s from St. Mary’s College of California in Kinesiology.

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Mariah Cooks

Head of Legal Affairs

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Mariah Cooks dominates from Court to Court serving as General Counsel and the 2022-23 Player of the Year for the Women's Premier Basketball Association. As a Sports and Entertainment attorney, Mariah serves as the League's legal compass, navigating through intricate legal landscapes with finesse and precision. As a trusted advisor, Mariah is instrumental in ensuring the league operates within the bounds of the law while championing principles of fairness, integrity, and ethical conduct. Known for her ability to strategize and effectively mitigate legal risks, Mariah plays a pivotal role in shaping policies that foster the league's growth and safeguard its representation. Beyond her legal acumen, Mariah is deeply committed to the broader vision of the league, contributing to its mission of fostering community engagement, inclusivity, and the overall well-being of athletes. In her dual capacity as General Counsel and former Player of the Year, Mariah stands as a symbol of excellence, embodying the values that define the Women's Premier Basketball Association.

Tiffany Gibson

Director of Sports Information

Tiffany Gibson joined the San Diego women's basketball program in June of 2021 and is in her second season with the team. Gibson assists in every aspect of the program, including travel, day-to-day operations, and much more.

Gibson joined the program from the University of Portland, where she started in 2015, first as the director of operations from 2015-18, and an assistant coach for 2018-19, before returning to the director of operations role in her final year.

Before her stint at Portland, Gibson was an assistant coach at San Joaquin Delta College for three seasons. Gibson assisted with every aspect of the program, including recruiting, team travel, developing and running youth summer camps, organizing and instructing all camps and clinics, academic assistance, monitoring, video analysis, and breakdown, team scouting and scouting reports, and game and practice analysis. While at SJDC, she helped lead the Mustangs to a Big 8 Conference Championship and reach the Elite 8 three times and California State Final Four twice while on staff.

Previously, Gibson was an assistant coach at Cal State Stanislaus for one season (2011-12) and a volunteer assistant women’s basketball video coordinator at the University of California (2010-11). Gibson also spent a year as a volunteer assistant coach at Cal State Hayward (2009-10).

Gibson began her basketball coaching career as the girls’ varsity assistant coach for the Emery Unified School District (2003-09). From 2004-08, she was the Sports Director for the Emeryville Recreation Department.

On the court, Gibson was a team captain and a second-team all-conference pick while playing for Merritt College (2001-03) in Oakland, Calif. Gibson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Cal State Hayward in 2011 and recently completed her Master of Coaching Athletics & Administration from Concordia University Irvine.

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Jamala Sanford

Head of Event Management

WPBA Trainers

Lisa Baugh

Strength & Conditioning Coach

Emailbetterbodyinfo@gmail.com

Meet Lisa Baugh, the owner of Better Body Fitness and Fit Evolution Gym on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Her mission is to help grow a healthy, happy, and thriving community.

Lisa has owned her personal training business for over 15 years, working with a wide range of clients. While she focuses on women, she enjoys servicing everyone in their journeys to health.

She works with local high school sports teams, training girls in basketball and water polo in and out of season. Lisa specializes in those looking to get stronger and leaner, pre and post-natal women, and helping all levels of athletes excel.

She is certified across many indications such as strength and conditioning, competitive kettlebell, TRX, and resistance bands. Lisa incorporates pieces of these (and more) into her training style and will focus on building a program unique to her clients.

Lisa will take the time to get to know you, your body, and your needs and work with you on your path to health.

Come by to check out the gym and meet the supportive and healthy Better Body community!

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Britnea Moore

Skills Development Coach

Britnea Moore is currently an experienced trainer serving the Bay Area and surrounding cities. In 2013, Moore created her own basketball academy, Access Your Game Training, LLC. This academy aims to elevate the basketball skill set, approach, and mindset of youth who have higher hoop dreams. AYG’s dedicated mission is to give athletes access to what wasn’t available to Moore as a young athlete. Britnea meets that goal by hosting skill development sessions, Co-Ed camps/clinics, shooting sessions, speed & agility training, and injury prevention/ academic workshops. A recent highlight is the partnership AYG has established with Gatorade in pursuit of young athletes prioritizing healthy habits.

In 2019 Britnea traveled outside the country ( Ghana and Thailand ) to help bridge the gap of “connectivity” in and around Hoop. Fast forward to 2022, Britnea led a project to help resurface an outdoor court at a local school, St. Peters, located in the Western region of Africa, Takoradi. In addition, Britnea created a skill development curriculum that would be run by her team of trainers (who currently reside in Ghana ) at various times throughout the year. The current academy is running under the leadership of the Social Drive Foundation. Britnea has a deep desire to give back her talents to future players and She thrives on connecting with athletes through her innovative style of training. This Bay Area native finds great joy in seeing players grow, not only in the world of basketball but as human beings.

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Delandro Leday

Skills Development Coach

Dr. Janae Young

Sports Performance Coach

Janae Young is a physical therapist and performance trainer joining the WPBA this year. She specializes in sports rehab and performance training. Outside of the league, she works at a sports rehab facility and is the owner of Infinite Performance Physical Therapy. Her passion in life is to help athletes recover from injuries both physically and mentally and bring them hope that they can excel in their post-injury athletic performance. This season, she hopes to help players be more efficient on the court by teaching them about their bodies as well as how to properly train and recover.

Dr. Alexis Griffith

Sports Chiropractor

Dr. Alexis Griffith, DC, CES

Alexis is a sports and rehab-oriented chiropractor in the East Bay Area. She has worked with various athletes during her clinical internship as well as during practice after receiving her doctoral degree from Life Chiropractic College West. She’s helped athletes ranging from competitive weightlifters to runners, as well as soccer, football, and basketball players. She also received her Corrective Exercise Specialist credential from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Alexis takes a comprehensive approach to minimize the risk of injury, decrease injury recovery time, and optimize performance with the athletes she works with.

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Ref-ology

Shelley Russi

Head of Referee Operations

Founder
Third Side Coaching & Ref-ology®

ref-ology® is a referee teaching & development program now licensed by Blast Equality Collab(TM) a 501(c)(3) a not-for-profit organization focused on leadership education & education on the integration & embodiment of equality through diverse sports experiences. The Women’s Premier Basketball Association referees have received Blast Equality Collab(TM) designation for 2023 season.

Shelley has served both as a referee & a performance trainer for over 3 decades.

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Don Vaden

Executive - Don Vaden Consulting

Don currently consults NBA Teams as part of Player Development & Analytics applying an officiating lens creating actionable insights to tactically & intentionally enhance team & individual players’ performances. Don, a former NBA Finals Referee, VP of NBA Referee Operations, and director of Officials for both the NBA & the WNBA, brings more than 40 years of experience on & off the floor while helping produce the top referees in the world.

Coaches

Bryan Gardere

Head Coach - Bay City Blaze

Greg Rahn

Head Coach - Bay Area Phoenix

Matthew Walter

Assistant Coach - Bay Area Phoenix

Jamala Sanford

Head Coach - Hayward Reign

Frank Scott

Head Coach - Alameda Wolves

Mark Gustin

Assistant Coach - Alameda Wolves

Kameo Williams

Head Coach - Oakland Swish

Dorvez Barnett

Head Coach - Berkeley Royals

Omodele Adesanya

Head Coach - Tech City Titans

Syreeta Broomfield

Assistant Coach - Tech City Titans

Jordan McLeggan

Head Coach - San Francisco Riptide

Media

Brittani Burgess

Cinematographer & Photographer

Brittani Burgess is a cinematographer and photographer who breathes life into the sports landscape with her narrative filmmaking and photography. As a former D1 collegiate and professional basketball player. After her basketball career Burgess eventually found even more influence and passion off court by creating a space to explore the impact of the game with art and personal expression. With experiences that span the industry – from Springhill Productions, Pinterest, Women’s Premier Basketball Association, Microsoft and the WNBA, LOVB, and more, she is fiercely dedicated to carving out a space for storytelling through different lenses.

Announcer

James C. Earl-Rockefeller, III

PA Announcer

Rocke started his professional career as a stand-up comedian having performed alongside renowned stand-up, television and movie comics. Working as a VJ for a popular Bay Area television network motivated Rocke to create VJTV The Visual Radio NETWORK, an entertainment television entity that has press covered The Academy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Heroes and Legends Awards and other celebrity-studded presentations. VJTV is also a content provider for the national cable network TV One.

James C. Earl-Rockefeller, III professionally known as James "Rockenthouse" (Rock-in-the-house) "That Announcer Guy" is a working television and event public address announcer. He has performed continuously from opening announcements for award shows to sporting events. He has voiced commercials for numerous Fortune 500 brands to include; Dodge, Cadillac, Pizza Hut, Honda, Metro PCS and Dickies. His feature film work spans five independant projects. He also has audio-recording credits on several musical projects and children’s motivational sports CD featuring sports legends: NBA’s Bill Russell, Brian Shaw, NFL’s Raymond Chester, MLB’s Joe Morgan, Mike Norris, Vida Blue and Bip Roberts. Rocke, is the Public Address Announcer for the Stanford Cardinal, Laney Community College football, Merritt Community College basketball, Oakland Athletic League, CIF-San Francisco and Women's Premier Basketball Association. Sports event highlights has included; a Hall of Fame event honoring Al Attles, Jr. and for the Thrive City Hoop It Up 3X3 Basketball Tournament San Francisco.

Rocke's moniker, "That Announcer Guy" stems from performing public address at events and bringing a vintage flair to the profession with his gameshow voice tone, signature plaid jackets, large framed eyeglasses and microphone lapel pin reminds audiences of classic television announcers with his true to art form.

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Faatimah A

Commissioner

Emailinfo@womenspba.com

A game-changer in the sports industry, proudly introduces Faatimah A, the unstoppable force behind the Women's Premier Basketball Association (WPBA). As the fearless Founder and CEO of this groundbreaking FIBA-certified professional women's basketball league, Faatimah is not only redefining the game but empowering a generation of athletes to reach new heights of success. In a world hungry for change, Faatimah A emerges as a beacon of inspiration, leading the charge in revolutionizing women's basketball. Her unwavering dedication to building a dynamic environment within the WPBA, where athletes, coaches, and staff can thrive, sets the stage for a transformative experience both on and off the court.

The Women's Premier Basketball Association emerged in 2022 under Faatimah's leadership, coinciding with her impressive fifth season as a professional player abroad. Fueled by the support of her mentors, Faatimah fearlessly embraced her purpose and launched the WPBA to provide unparalleled opportunities for women to excel in professional basketball. As the Founder and CEO, Faatimah assumes multiple responsibilities, which include spearheading front-office operations, driving media and marketing strategies, web development, and game operations. Her visionary leadership has brought to life a league that transcends mere athleticism, creating a platform for personal growth and second chances.

Faatimah A's remarkable contributions have garnered significant recognition within the sports industry and beyond. She was honored as the recipient of the 2022 Woman of Courage Award, inspired by Congresswoman Jackie Speier, underscoring her remarkable dedication and resilience. Faatimah's trailblazing journey has been featured in prestigious media outlets such as ESPN, SF Chronicle, KRON4, KTVU2, Oakland Side Newspaper, Ballers Magazine, and Voyage LA.

Quote from Faatimah A: "We are more than just a basketball league; we are a catalyst for change and empowerment. Through the Women's Premier Basketball Association, we aim to create a transformative space where individuals can pursue their dreams, develop their skills, and make a lasting impact on and off the court. Together, we are transcending the future of women's basketball.”

Faatimah A's trailblazing journey and unwavering commitment to breaking down barriers have captured the attention of the sports world. Her captivating vision and unyielding drive inspire awe and admiration, leaving audiences yearning to learn more about her extraordinary story and contribute to her mission of empowering women through basketball.

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