Who Is Latricia Trammell? Everything You Need to Know About Dallas Wings’ Coach

Three-time WNBA champions, the Dallas Wings have made a confident start to their campaign. They took down the WNBA No.1 overall draft pick Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever following a last-second winner by Arike Ogunbowale. Thus, fighting till the final buzzer is what the team has been all about ever since Latricia Trammell took over. It is no news that the 56-year-old is slowly transforming the franchise and making it one of the contenders for the WNBA title. However, this reputation is not an overnight phenomenon as she has been in the coaching business for over 30 years now. Still, there were some notable moments when Trammell was able to shine as a college basketball player.

How did it all start for Latricia Trammell?

An alumni of the Seminole High School, the 5 ft 8 in star cherished her skills as a basketball player. These very skills helped her to score 46 points in a single game which ended up being the all-time state record. The sophomore as a four-year letterman in basketball also broke a total of 16 school records. Additionally, her contributions were also instrumental in making her the Most Valuable Female Athlete in high school. Soon after her graduation, she enrolled in the Seminole Junior College in 1986. Here, for two years, she successfully left a lasting impression on the hardwood. On top of that, it was here that she first started to get a grasp of her mentoring aptitude.

She reflected on it when she was inducted into the Seminole State College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2018. Tramell said, “In high school, I accomplished a lot athletically, and once I went to college, I had to learn a new system and embrace a new role. I understand what that feels like and can mentor players going through this same transition from college to professional basketball.” 

After earning a degree in biology from East Central University, it was indeed time for her to realize her true potential.

The journey towards being an exceptional coach

Very early in her life, Trammell recognized her coaching abilities and associated herself with high schools in Texas as well as in Oklahoma. Beginning her career as an assistant coach at the Midwest City High School, she architected two state championships for them. In addition to this, she also managed to secure three district titles for the Billy Ryan High School, in Denton, Texas. As a result, she garnered a formidable record of 105 wins and 45 losses. This made her a favorable coaching option for some of the good college basketball programs. In time she decided to join Western State in Colorado. Consequently, her skills helped her to register the third all-time in program wins. Moreover, the first winning season in 12 years was also witnessed by the program under her guidance.

Still, Trammell made a resounding name for herself when she joined Oklahoma City University. Here, her resume included consecutive NAIA National Championships which eventually resulted in her winning the NAIA Coach of the Year for both seasons. Following this, an opportunity opened up at Georgia State to be an assistant coach which she gladly fulfilled for two years. Here, the State Panthers made it to the Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals for the very first time courtesy of her expertise.

Subsequently, such an illustrious resume made way for her to enter into the professional scheme of things.

Trammell trying her luck in the WNBA

The year 2017 brought Latricia a first taste of the big league. Initially, she was a part of the coaching staff of the San Antonio Stars before it relocated to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, she was not retained by the franchise which resulted in her heading to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019. As a deputy to head coach Derek Fisher, Trammell enhanced the defensive capabilities of the team which led to four players earning the WNBA All-Defensive honors that also included Candace Parker. Further, in 2020 Parker also went on to grab the Defensive Player of the Year award.

This was a vital aspect that piqued the interest of the ownership and management of the Dallas Wings. Hence, they made Trammell’s dream come true and appointed her as head coach in 2023. Although, it was not a walk in the park for her. The Wings finished second in the Western Conference with a 22-18 win-loss record. Accordingly, they made their way into the playoffs where Trammell’s crew brushed aside the Atlanta Dream in the opening round. Sadly, they couldn’t get past the eventual champions Las Vegas and got knocked out in the semifinals. In spite of that, the season turned out to be the best for Dallas since its relocation to Texas in 2016.

An impressive debut season for the Oklahoma veteran at Dallas. Because of the success she attained in 2023, fans will hope that she carries the team a little further. Can she bring home the championships for the Wings after 16 years? We’ll have to wait and see.