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Chasity Melvin named first female coach in Swarm, Hornets history

By Carly Grenfell

WASHINGTON - AUGUST 14: Chasity Melvin #44 of the Washington Mystics stretches prior to the WNBA game against the Connecticut Sun on August 14, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Mystics won 91-89 in OT. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - AUGUST 14: Chasity Melvin #44 of the Washington Mystics stretches prior to the WNBA game against the Connecticut Sun on August 14, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Mystics won 91-89 in OT. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The NBA keeps getting more diverse by the day.

Another one.

Another woman hired on an NBA coaching staff. This time it’s Chasity Melvin, who played 12 seasons in the WNBA, rounding out the Greensboro Swarm’s coaching unit — the NBA G League Affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets.

Thankfully, the buzz continues after the Wizards recently hired Kristi Toliver, who became just the fourth-ever woman to coach in the NBA. To think that the fourth and fifth hires happened within a few days of each other is nothing short of encouraging for women in the coaching space.

She becomes the first female coach in Hornets and Swarm franchise history.

By way of the NBA Assistant Coaches Program, Melvin brings a wealth of basketball experience to North Carolina.  The North Carolina State alumna went on to play professionally from 1999 to 2010 for the Cleveland Rockers, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky. In 2001, she was named a WNBA All-Star.

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Outside of basketball, Melvin’s diversified resume is also worth talking about. She’s a North Carolina State athletics Hall of Famer. She’s a coordinator for a non-profit, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. She’s an accomplished author of the book, At The End of The Day where she talks about the places basketball has taken her and the role her faith played along that journey. She’s traveled to Spain, Russia, Poland, South Korea, Italy, Israel, Turkey and China. She has her own website and radio talk show.

The list goes on.

While the significance of hiring a woman in a league like the NBA is massive for the sport and society as a whole, it can be easy to lose sight of what else it is that makes these women impressive. Sure, these strides matter and are newsworthy because of gender equality. But let’s not forget about who these women are and what they stand for, either.

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