Nikki Blue

Last updated

Nikki Blue
Los Angeles Sparks
PositionAssistant coach
League WNBA
Personal information
Born (1984-03-29) March 29, 1984 (age 40)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Listed weight163 lb (74 kg)
Career information
High school West (Bakersfield, California)
College UCLA (2002–2006)
WNBA draft 2006: 2nd round, 19th overall pick
Selected by the Washington Mystics
Playing career2006–2010
Position Point guard
Number32, 1
Coaching career2008–present
Career history
As player:
2006–2009 Washington Mystics
2010 New York Liberty
As coach:
2008–2014 UNLV (assistant)
2014–2017 Cal State Bakersfield (assistant)
2017–2019 Grand Canyon (assistant)
2019–2022 Arizona State (assistant)
2022–2023 Phoenix Mercury (assistant)
2023 Phoenix Mercury (interim head coach)
2025–present Los Angeles Sparks (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Anitra Necole "Nikki" Blue (born March 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Contents

High school

Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Blue played her high school career at West High School. Blue set the CIF Central Section record for points scored in a single season (913 in the 2000–01 season) and career (2,934 points). Blue averaged 29 points per game her senior year at West and lead Kern County in assists per game as well. Blue is regarded as the best player to ever come out of the CIF Central Section. However, due to the lack of talent around her, West High never won a section championship during Blue's career. The closest West came was in 2002 when West lost to crosstown rival Stockdale 82–55 in the CIF Central Section Division II championship game. Blue was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2001 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored two points. [1]

College

Blue was regarded as one of the best point guards in the country, and was offered a full-ride scholarship to the University of Connecticut, the nations top ranked team in 2002. However, Blue turned the offer down and instead opted to go to UCLA, which went 10–20 during the 2002 season. Blue stated that UCLA was closer to home and she liked the idea of rebuilding a program.

At UCLA, Blue was a four-year starting point guard. She was named first-team All-Pacific-10 Conference and to the All-Freshmen team. She averaged 16.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, 3.6 assist per game, and 2.7 steals per game her freshman year. As a sophomore, she was named first-team All-Pac-10 for the second straight year. As a junior, she joined Ann Meyers as the second Bruin to record over 1,300 points and 400 assists. She was one of the finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award her senior year. Her career averages at UCLA were 15.2 points per game, 5.1 assist per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 2.8 steals per game.

UCLA statistics

Source [2]

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2002-03 UCLA 29 48140.5 27.9 70.4 5.5 3.6 2.7 0.316.6
2003-04 UCLA 30 457 39.6 37.5 72.55.64.9 3.0 0.1 15.2
2004-05 UCLA 27 458 41.635.0 72.0 5.0 6.03.40.2 17.0
2005-06 UCLA 32401 39.6 41.870.5 4.7 5.9 2.1 0.2 12.5
Career UCLA 118 1797 40.3 35.5 71.4 5.2 5.1 2.8 0.2 15.2

WNBA career

After her college career, Blue was selected in the second round of the 2006 WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics. She played 4 seasons with the Mystics before being traded on May 13, 2010 to the New York Liberty in exchange for rookie Ashley Houts.

Coaching career

Blue was hired by the Phoenix Mercury on March 31, 2022, as an Assistant Coach to be a part of new Head Coach Vanessa Nygaard's coaching staff. [3] Blue was named the interim head coach for the Mercury after they fired Nygaard on June 25, 2023. [4]

In January 2025, Blue was announced as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks under head coach Lynne Roberts. [5]

WNBA

Legend
Regular seasonGGames coachedWGames wonLGames lostW–L %Win–loss %
PlayoffsPGPlayoff gamesPWPlayoff winsPLPlayoff lossesPW–L %Playoff win–loss %
TeamYearGWLW–L%FinishPGPWPLPW–L%Result
PHO 2023 28721.2506th in Western————Missed Playoffs
Career28721.250000–

WNBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2006 Washington 2407.525.98.380.60.81.50.80.00.82.3
2007 Washington 30114.032.422.283.82.11.60.70.21.23.6
2008 Washington 262220.732.443.876.01.62.80.70.11.63.8
2009 Washington 1605.729.233.370.00.60.80.40.00.81.5
2010 New York 1505.128.616.771.40.40.90.30.00.61.2
Career5 years, 2 teams1112311.830.729.179.11.31.60.60.11.12.7

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2006 Washington 103.00.00.00.01.00.01.00.00.00.0
2010 New York 101.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
Career5 years, 2 teams202.00.00.00.00.50.00.50.00.00.0

Personal

Her full name is Anitra Necole Blue. She is the daughter to Sabrina Hunter and has one brother, Andre. She has served as an assistant coach in the UNLV women's basketball program for the past two years during her off-season from the WNBA. Her biggest thrill to date was being selected to play in the first McDonald's All-Star game in New York. She also lettered in volleyball (three years), softball (one year) and track and field (one year). She majored in history at UCLA. [6]

Notes

  1. ↑ "WBCA High School All-America Game Box Scores". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Women's Basketball Player stats". NCAA. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  3. ↑ "PHOENIX MERCURY ADD NIKKI BLUE AND CINNAMON LISTER TO 2022 COACHING STAFF". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  4. ↑ Merchant, Sabreena. "Phoenix Mercury fire coach Vanessa Nygaard after 2-10 start to season: What went wrong?". theathletic.com. The Athletic. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Sparks Add Coaching Veterans Nikki Blue, Zak Buncik to Staff". sparks.wnba.com. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  6. ↑ "WNBA.com: Nikki Blue Playerfile". www.wnba.com. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008.

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