Huskies name Lister assistant coach

Jasmine Lister, a graduate assistant on two UConn women’s basketball national championship teams, is returning to the school as an assistant coach on Geno Auriemma’s staff.

Lister, a four-year starting guard at Vanderbilt, was an assistant coach at Washington in 2016-17. When Washington coach Mike Neighbors took the Arkansas job, Lister was not a part of the new staff.

One of Lister’s duties at UConn was organizing the group of male practice players who went up against the Huskies. She was trusted with that role during a national team training camp at UConn in 2016 and took the court with the practice players as well. DePaul head coach Doug Bruno was an assistant national team coach at that time and was impressed enough with Lister’s work that he hired her to be an assistant coach at DePaul for the 2017-18 season

“Words cannot describe how excited and grateful I am to have the opportunity to return to UConn,” Lister said in a release.

Lister replaces Marisa Moseley, who earlier this week was named the head coach at Boston University after spending nine years

on Auriemma’s staff.

Lister’s potential as a coach was first recognized by former UConn AllAmerican Sue Bird when Lister was in training camp with the Seattle Storm in 2014.

Lister was one of the last cuts, but with Bird knowing that Auriemma was looking for a graduate assistant, she recommended Lister.

“I couldn’t be happier to have Jasmine back on my staff,” Auriemma said.

“Over the last two years, she had great opportunities to work at two really good schools. She is going to bring the same energy, enthusiasm and passion that she had as a player to our coaching staff. We are thrilled to have Jasmine back in Storrs.”

Lister’s hiring was first reported by Carl Adamec of the Manchester Journal Inquirer.

Jessica Hill / Associated Press file photo Jasmine Lister, seen here as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks, has been added to the UConn women’s basketball staff as an assistant.