Women's Basketball
Palmer, Sasha
Sasha Palmer
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- sapalmer@syr.edu
- Phone:
- 3761
Sasha Palmer is in her second season as assistant coach with the Orange. She serves as the recruiting coordinator in addition to her on-court coaching duties.
Syracuse women’s basketball head coach Quentin Hillsman announced the hiring of Sasha Palmer as assistant coach on June 24, 2013. The Northern Michigan ’00 alum served as head coach the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown the previous six seasons.
Palmer's hiring showed immediate dividends in 2013-14 as the Orange wen 23-10 overall, including 10-6 in its first season in the ACC, advanced to its second-straight NCAA Tournament, and won the program's first-ever game at the NCAAs.
"Sasha is a very accomplished coach,” Hillsman said at the time of her hiring. “She is a great recruiter with several years of head coaching experience. She was also a dominant player collegiately and professionally. Her experience will be an invaluable asset to our student-athletes and the program as a whole.”
Palmer took over as head coach at Division II Pitt-Johnstown in Aug. 2007 and amassed an 87-80 record in six seasons, including a 72-56 mark in West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).
“I am really excited to start my new position at Syracuse University as assistant women’s basketball coach,” Palmer said at the time of her hiring. “I look forward to working with everyone on campus and in the community. I would like to thank Coach Hillsman and the basketball staff for giving me this opportunity.”
After going 10-18 in her first season as head coach, Palmer led the Lady Cats to five straight winning seasons, including an 18-12 mark and conference semifinal appearance in her second season.
Palmer proved to a strong recruiter in her time at Pitt-Johnstown. Among that talent she assembled are 2012-13 WVIAC Freshman of the Year Jasmine Harper and 2012-13 All-WVIAC selection and 2011-12 Freshman of the Year Kaitlynn Fratz.
Prior to her arrival at Pitt-Johnstown, Palmer spent four seasons as the top assistant coach of the women’s basketball team at Shippensburg University, where her duties included recruiting, working with the post players and monitoring the team’s academic progress. Palmer also spent six weeks of the 2005-06 regular season as Shippensburg’s acting head coach when head coach Kristy Trn was on maternity leave. During her tenure at Shippensburg, Palmer worked with 2004 PSAC Western Division Rookie of the Year and two-time All-PSAC Western Division selection Shanna Oaddams, as well as Kim Strickland, who ranked second in career blocks and sixth in career rebounds for the Lady Raiders. Palmer also coached 2007 PSAC Rookie of the Year Lauren Beckley, who led the conference in scoring as a freshman.
A native of Watertown, Wis., Palmer graduated in 2000 from Northern Michigan University where she had an outstanding playing career for the Wildcats. In 1998, she led Northern Michigan to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship, the first of three-straight regional championship game appearances.
As a senior in 1999-00, Palmer ranked fourth in the nation in scoring at 22.7 points per game and led Division II in total points with 703. She garnered All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division First Team honors, GLIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and Second Team Daktronics All-America honors and Honorable Mention Women’s Division II Bulletin All-American accolades.
Following her career at Northern Michigan, Palmer competed professionally in Europe for two years, playing for Lausanne Olympic in Switzerland (2002) and Basket Club Racing in Luxembourg (2003). While in Switzerland, she averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds per game and was selected as a European All-Star. In Luxembourg, Palmer averaged 34 points and 13 rebounds per game, leading her team to the Luxembourg championship with only one loss. That year, she was selected the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Palmer also spent four years as a member of the four-time Women’s Eastern Basketball Alliance (WEBA) champion Harrisburg (Pa.) Horizon. In 2005, the Lady Horizon recorded the first perfect season in WEBA history, finishing the year 9-0. Four times Palmer earned All-WEBA First Team honors. In 2006 and 2007, Palmer took home WEBA Most Valuable Player honors after leading the league in scoring and rebounding in 2006 and scoring in 2007.
Palmer earned her Bachelor of Science degree in physical education/health from Northern
Michigan University in 2001 and her Master of Science degree in organizational development and leadership from Shippensburg University in 2007.
Syracuse women’s basketball head coach Quentin Hillsman announced the hiring of Sasha Palmer as assistant coach on June 24, 2013. The Northern Michigan ’00 alum served as head coach the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown the previous six seasons.
Palmer's hiring showed immediate dividends in 2013-14 as the Orange wen 23-10 overall, including 10-6 in its first season in the ACC, advanced to its second-straight NCAA Tournament, and won the program's first-ever game at the NCAAs.
"Sasha is a very accomplished coach,” Hillsman said at the time of her hiring. “She is a great recruiter with several years of head coaching experience. She was also a dominant player collegiately and professionally. Her experience will be an invaluable asset to our student-athletes and the program as a whole.”
Palmer took over as head coach at Division II Pitt-Johnstown in Aug. 2007 and amassed an 87-80 record in six seasons, including a 72-56 mark in West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).
“I am really excited to start my new position at Syracuse University as assistant women’s basketball coach,” Palmer said at the time of her hiring. “I look forward to working with everyone on campus and in the community. I would like to thank Coach Hillsman and the basketball staff for giving me this opportunity.”
After going 10-18 in her first season as head coach, Palmer led the Lady Cats to five straight winning seasons, including an 18-12 mark and conference semifinal appearance in her second season.
Palmer proved to a strong recruiter in her time at Pitt-Johnstown. Among that talent she assembled are 2012-13 WVIAC Freshman of the Year Jasmine Harper and 2012-13 All-WVIAC selection and 2011-12 Freshman of the Year Kaitlynn Fratz.
Prior to her arrival at Pitt-Johnstown, Palmer spent four seasons as the top assistant coach of the women’s basketball team at Shippensburg University, where her duties included recruiting, working with the post players and monitoring the team’s academic progress. Palmer also spent six weeks of the 2005-06 regular season as Shippensburg’s acting head coach when head coach Kristy Trn was on maternity leave. During her tenure at Shippensburg, Palmer worked with 2004 PSAC Western Division Rookie of the Year and two-time All-PSAC Western Division selection Shanna Oaddams, as well as Kim Strickland, who ranked second in career blocks and sixth in career rebounds for the Lady Raiders. Palmer also coached 2007 PSAC Rookie of the Year Lauren Beckley, who led the conference in scoring as a freshman.
A native of Watertown, Wis., Palmer graduated in 2000 from Northern Michigan University where she had an outstanding playing career for the Wildcats. In 1998, she led Northern Michigan to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship, the first of three-straight regional championship game appearances.
As a senior in 1999-00, Palmer ranked fourth in the nation in scoring at 22.7 points per game and led Division II in total points with 703. She garnered All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division First Team honors, GLIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and Second Team Daktronics All-America honors and Honorable Mention Women’s Division II Bulletin All-American accolades.
Following her career at Northern Michigan, Palmer competed professionally in Europe for two years, playing for Lausanne Olympic in Switzerland (2002) and Basket Club Racing in Luxembourg (2003). While in Switzerland, she averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds per game and was selected as a European All-Star. In Luxembourg, Palmer averaged 34 points and 13 rebounds per game, leading her team to the Luxembourg championship with only one loss. That year, she was selected the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Palmer also spent four years as a member of the four-time Women’s Eastern Basketball Alliance (WEBA) champion Harrisburg (Pa.) Horizon. In 2005, the Lady Horizon recorded the first perfect season in WEBA history, finishing the year 9-0. Four times Palmer earned All-WEBA First Team honors. In 2006 and 2007, Palmer took home WEBA Most Valuable Player honors after leading the league in scoring and rebounding in 2006 and scoring in 2007.
Palmer earned her Bachelor of Science degree in physical education/health from Northern
Michigan University in 2001 and her Master of Science degree in organizational development and leadership from Shippensburg University in 2007.
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