Arlington hires former WNBA first-rounder Ashley Shields as girls basketball coach

Ashley Shields, a former Melrose standout who became the first WNBA player drafted out of a community college, will be the next girls' basketball coach at Arlington.

Shields will replace Wes Shappley, who left last month to coach Bartlett. Arlington (31-5) was one of four teams left in the Class AAA state tournament before it was canceled due to COVID-19. 

“Coach Shappley built a dominant girls basketball program at AHS, and we’re very proud of the work he’s done here,” Arlington principal Chris Duncan said in a news release. “Coach Shields couldn’t have stepped in at a better time. Between her immense talent as a player herself and her proven track record as a coach, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to the Tiger family.”

Shields was the No. 8 overall pick by Houston in the 2007 WNBA Draft out of Southwest Tennessee Community College. She won a title with Detroit in 2008. Then she played basketball overseas for nearly a decade. 

She began her prep coaching career at Mitchell and was named head coach in 2018. The Tigers were region runner-up in her only year there. This past season she was an assistant at Houston, which was eliminated by Arlington in the sectionals. 

"I first saw Arlington play this past season and what I saw was a group of young players who love the game,” Shields said in the release. “I love seeing girls who have a passion for the game, dig in and fight, and that’s what I’ve seen from Arlington.”

Arlington's quarterfinal win was its first in the state tournament. The Tigers had lost in the quarterfinals in their three previous appearances.

“I love to put players in great situations and help them accomplish great things,” Shields said. “I’m ready to get these girls back on the court and help them fight their way back to the state tournament."