Jennifer Dawn Boucek (/ˈbuːsɛk/BOO-sek;[1] born December 20, 1973) is an American assistant basketball coach for the Indiana Pacers, a former basketball player, and former head coach of the Seattle Storm. She was hired by the Storm on January 20, 2015, but terminated on August 10, 2017, as the team failed to meet the expectations that came along with the acquisition of consecutive top draft picks Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart. Boucek was previously the head coach for the Sacramento Monarchs from November 15, 2006, until July 12, 2009.[2]
Boucek was a two-time GTE Academic All-American team member and two-time ACC selection. Boucek twice earned team Defensive Player of the Year honors and finished her career at Virginia as a member of the 1,000-point club. She also competed in the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1993.
Boucek graduated with honors in 1997 with a double major degree in sports medicine and sports management. She was given a free fifth year after her college playing career ended. She had six mini-internships during that year, including in sports medicine, sports information and sports psychology. Boucek graduated as No. 1 at Virginia's Curry School of Education and Human Development.[3]
Professional playing career
Boucek planned to enter med school but rumors of the WNBA's founding had her spending a month getting back into shape to attend a Cleveland Rockers open tryout. In 1997, she was one of a pair of women to earn a spot on the roster from 350 attendees to the tryout.[4] Boucek played her first game with the Rockers on June 21, 1997, in a 56 - 76 loss to the Houston Comets. where she recorded 2 points and 2 rebounds.[5] She would play in 10 of the Rockers' 28 games in the 1997 season (the team finished with a 15 - 13 record, being 4 - 6 in the games where Boucek played).
Boucek began her coaching career in the WNBA during the 1999 season as an assistant with the Washington Mystics. In 2000, she joined the Miami Sol, also as an assistant coach, for three seasons.
In 2003, Boucek joined the Seattle Storm as an assistant coach and in 2004, helped the team win the WNBA Finals Championship, beating the Connecticut Sun. She also served as one of the Storm's scouts for prospective college players during the NCAA basketball season.
In addition to her official scouting duties, Boucek also served as a color commentator on several Fox Sports Net broadcasts of ACC women's basketball games.
However, shortly after the 2005 WNBA season ended, Boucek declined to remain with the Storm for the upcoming 2006 season, citing personal reasons for her departure.
On November 15, 2006, the Sacramento Monarchs named Boucek as their new head coach for the 2007 WNBA season. On July 12, 2009, Sacramento Monarchs general manager John Whisenant announced the team relieved Boucek of her head coaching duties. She compiled a 40–41 record in two-plus years as Monarchs head coach. She was 19–15 in 2007, 18–16 in 2008, and 3–10 in 2009 at the time of her dismissal.
She regards Pacers coach Rick Carlisle as a friend and mentor with their shared background as standout basketball players at Virginia. He invited Boucek to spend time with his Mavericks staff in 2011 and for a month of 2014's training camp.[3]
On January 20, 2015, the Seattle Storm named Boucek as head coach.[12] On August 10, 2017, the Storm fired Boucek as head coach after compiling a 36–58 record for the franchise and, in particular, for a disappointing 2017 season.[13]
On October 20, 2017, Boucek was announced as a player development coach for the Sacramento Kings, becoming the third woman assistant coach in NBA history.[14]
On July 19, 2018, Boucek was announced as an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first female assistant coach in franchise history.[15] She gave birth to her daughter Rylie twelve days later.[3]
On July 16, 2021, Boucek was named an assistant coach of the Indiana Pacers, remaining with Rick Carlisle, who hired her to join the Mavericks' staff three years earlier.[16]
