Kate Paye makes a return trip to Montezuma Mesa, having served a short stint as an assistant coach under Burns in 1995-96. Her on-court duties will include working with the point guards and perimeter players, as well as focusing on the overall team offense. She will also coordinate opponent scouting and play a large part in the Aztecs[apos] recruiting efforts.
Paye left SDSU in 1996 to play professional basketball, first with the Seattle Reign of the ABL for three seasons, and later with the WNBA[apos]s Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm from 2000-02. Off the court, the Woodside, Calif., native graduated with distinction with both her juris doctorate and master[apos]s of business administration degrees from Stanford in 2003.
[quote]I have known Kate Paye since her national championship years as a student-athlete at Stanford,[quote] SDSU head coach Beth Burns said. [quote]Coach Paye is an excellent teacher and has a great understanding of the game. Her experience in the WNBA, combined with a terrific academic and athletic background makes her one of the young `shining stars[apos] in our profession.[quote]
Paye was a four-year member of the Stanford women[apos]s basketball team that claimed the national championship in 1992, and advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. A Pac-10 honorable mention selection and two-time team captain, she earned her bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1995. She was most recently an assistant women[apos]s basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at Pepperdine University in 2004-05.