Women's Basketball | September 22, 2017

PHILADELPHIA – Kam Gissendanner and Khadijah Rushdan have joined the La Salle women's basketball staff, head coach Jeff Williams announced this week.
 
"We're very fortunate to have Kam and Khadijah join our staff, they're great people and they're going to represent the university very well," said Williams. "Kam has already been a successful head coach at the college level and she was All-Conference at Penn State while Khadijah was All-Conference at Rutgers. They also both played in the WNBA and professionally overseas."
 
Gissendanner comes to La Salle after five seasons as the head coach at Division III La Roche College in Pittsburgh. She led the Redhawks to five AMCC Championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances and a 116-22 overall record during her tenure. The Clairton, Pa. native was named the 2015-16 Advocates for Athletic Equity Division III Coach of the Year.
 
"Words can't express how happy I am to embark on this new journey," Gissendanner said. "Coach Williams is a class act and to be able to learn from one of the best in the game is an honor."
 
Gissendanner began her coaching career at St. Francis University (Pa.) from 2009-2011, where she helped lead the Red Flashes to two NCAA Tournament appearances and two NEC Championships. After an outstanding career at Penn State, Gissendanner played with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008 before spending a season in Norway's Kvinnenligaen League.
 
Rushdan spent the previous three seasons as assistant head coach at St. Elizabeth High School in Wilmington, Delaware. She was also on the staff for the US Olympic Women's Basketball U16 Trials in Colorado this spring.
 
"I'm beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to join this staff," said Rushdan. "Coach Williams has an abundance of knowledge and experience and I couldn't be more thrilled to begin my collegiate coaching career under his leadership."
 
Following a First Team All-Big East selection as a senior at Rutgers, Rushdan was selected 15^th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012. She spent a season in the WNBA before playing for Maccabi Ramat Chen in Israel from 2012-13.
 
Rushdan graduated from Rutgers in 2012 with a degree in Exercise Science and Sports Studies, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Global Sports Business at her alma mater.
 
La Salle opens their 2017-18 season on November 10 at Lafayette.