Vanessa Nygaard to become WNBA assistant coach

Vanessa Nygaard is taking a leave of absence from coaching the Windward High girls' basketball team this season to become an assistant coach with the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces under Bill Laimbeer. Assistant Ebony Hoffman has taken over as head coach in her absence.

Nygaard is expected to return next season and continues to work at Windward. Nygaard is taking a leave because the girls' basketball season will conflict with the WNBA season this year.

Another girls' coach in Southern California, Bishop Montgomery's Noelle Quinn, is an assistant with the Seattle Storm.

Nygaard has coached Windward to two state titles. Hoffman is a former WNBA player and former standout at Narbonne. Also added as an assistant is former Windward and USC standout Courtney Jaco.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.