Wendy Palmer is entering her second season as an assistant coach with the Virginia Commonwealth University women’s basketball program. The former Virginia standout and 1997 WNBA draftee will pull double duty as she will coach and continue playing in the professional league.

Palmer, who is one of six original players left in the WNBA, was selected by the Utah Starzz in the second round (ninth overall) of the WNBA Elite Draft on Feb. 27, 1997. Since then Palmer also has played for the Detroit Shock, Orlando Miracle, Connecticut Sun, San Antonio Silver Stars and her current club, the Seattle Storm. She was an All-WNBA second-team selection in 1997 and was voted an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2000 WNBA All-Star contest. Palmer has played in 277 career games in her 10 years with the league, and maintains career averages of 10.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.

“I am truly excited about the opportunity to join the VCU women’s basketball program,” said Palmer at the time of her hire. “I think Beth, her staff and the team have really created something special. I look forward to watching the program grow and being a part of that. Everyone at VCU treated me so well during my visit — I knew it was the perfect fit for me, the school and the program.”

Palmer, a two-time Kodak All-American at UVA, became the first player in Cavalier women’s basketball history to record more than 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. She was a three-time All-ACC first-team selection, and she became only the third player in league history to receive two straight ACC Player of the Year nods. Palmer ended her career at Virginia ranked among the program’s all-time leaders in several statistical categories, including first in career rebounds (1,221), second in career field-goals made (780) and third in career scoring (1,918).

The 6-2 forward led the ACC in rebounding during her sophomore and senior seasons, ending her career ranked eighth all-time among the league’s top rebounders. To date, Palmer remains atop UVA’s career rebounds list and still owns the single-season rebounding record (358). She also set a Cavalier single-game scoring record when she registered 39 points in just 26 minutes of play at Maryland during the 1994-95 campaign.

Palmer, who graduated from UVA in 1996 with a degree in history, was the fourth Cavalier in the program’s history to have her jersey retired.