University of California-Irvine Women's Basketball

• 2023-24 Big West Champions • 2024 NCAA Tournament • 2022-23 Big West Regular Season Champions • 2022 & 2023 WNIT Appearances • 2020-21 Big West co-Coach of the Year • UCI Women's Basketball's All-Time Winningest Head Coach Tamara Inoue is in her 10th year at the helm of the UC Irvine women’s basketball program in 2025-26. After taking over a team that had two winning seasons in 15 years, Inoue brought a renewed energy and mindset that paid off immediately. In her first year with her own recruits, the Anteaters had the second best turnaround in all of NCAA Division I. Since then, they have won a Big West tournament and regular season title, produced five 20-win campaigns and made four national postseason tournament appearances. Last season, Inoue became the all-time winningest head coach in UCI women's basketball history. She eclipsed the school record with her 159th victory on February 27. The Anteaters went on to secure their fourth-straight 20-win campaign (21-10), finished second in the Big West standings (15-5), and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the fifth time in her nine seasons. For the third-straight year, UC Irvine was ranked among the top-15 in the nation in scoring defense as they finished 10th at 54.3 points allowed per game. Déja Lee and Hunter Hernandez claimed two of the six spots on the All-Big West First Team, while Summah Hanson was named the Best Sixth Player. In 2023-24, Inoue’s squad won the program’s second Big West Champio

Assistant Director - Media Relations: Basketball (W), Golf (M), Tennis (M), Cross Country/Track & Field, Water Polo (M&W)

Cecilia Russell-Nava is in her 10th year with the UC Irvine women’s basketball program, and sixth as an associate head coach in 2025-26. Russell-Nava has been instrumental to UCI's success over the last nine seasons. Last year, she helped the Anteaters to their fourth-straight 20-win campaign. They finished the season at 21-10 overall and 15-5 in the Big West (2nd). UC Irvine also advanced to the Big West semifinals, and closed out the campaign ranked 10th in the nation in scoring defense (54.3 ppg). In 2023-24, the 'Eaters won the Big West Championship for the second time in program history, and earned a No. 13 seed in their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 29 years. UCI went 23-9 overall (16-4 Big West), and was ranked in the final College Insider Women’s Mid-Major Poll (23rd). The Anteaters were also among the nation’s best in scoring defense (14th, 55.7 ppg). Russell-Nava worked closely with Déja Lee, who was the first Anteater to be named the Big West Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, and with Diaba Konate, who was tabbed the conference’s Best Defensive Player. In 2022-23, the ‘Eaters made history, winning the program's first Big West regular season championship and earning the program's first postseason victory with an opening-round win in the WNIT. They finished the campaign at 25-7 (16-2 Big West), setting school records in overall and conference wins. They were also ranked 23rd in the final College Insider Women’s Mid-Major Poll. In addition, Russell-Nava pla

Connie Kuei joined the UC Irvine Sports Medicine staff in 2020, working primarily with women's basketball and women's golf. Kuei received her undergraduate d...

Derek Wynn enters his fourth year as an assistant coach with the UC Irvine women’s basketball program in 2025-26. In his three seasons on staff, the Anteaters have won a Big West tournament and regular season championship, and produced three-straight 20-win campaigns. Last year, the 'Eaters went 21-10 overall for their fourth-straight 20-win campaign. They finished second in the Big West (15-5) and made an appearance in the semifinals of the Big West Championship. UCI also ranked among the top-10 in the nation in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense. In 2023-24, the Anteaters won the second Big West Championship in program history. They earned a No. 13 seed in their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 29 years. UC Irvine closed out the campaign with a 23-9 overall record (16-4 Big West) and was ranked 23rd in the final College Insider Women’s Mid-Major Poll. The 'Eaters were also among the nation’s best in scoring defense as they were 14th with 55.7 points allowed per game. UCI claimed three major Big West Awards, taking home Player of the Year (Déja Lee), Newcomer of the Year (Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba) and Best Defensive Player (Diaba Konate). Wynn joined the ‘Eaters in 2022-23 and made an immediate impact, helping the squad win the first Big West regular-season title in program history. UC Irvine went on to earn an automatic bid to the WNIT where it advanced to the second round. The historic campaign also saw school records set in overall wins (25), conferenc

Former UC Irvine women's basketball star Lauren Saiki has returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach for the 2025-26 season. Saiki was a fan favorite a...

Yacoubian joined the Academic and Student Services staff in October of 2018, where she currently serves as the Academic & Life Skills Coordinator for the Men...

After stepping away from her role last year, Nisma Ali returns to UC Irvine women's basketball for her third season as the program's Director of Administrati...

Tyler Ellis is in her seventh year on the UC Irvine women's basketball staff and fourth as an assistant coach in 2024-25. Last year, the Anteaters went 21-10...