Nia Coffey Inducted into Hall of Fame
School of Education and Social Policy alumna and basketball standout Nia Coffey (BS17) was one of nine Wildcats inducted into the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame.
Coffey, a small forward who has been with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream since 2022 and is known for her tenacious defense and three point range, is currently playing in the offseason for the Townsville Fire, a powerhouse in Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League.
In addition to Coffey, the 2024 class includes Jeff Budzien (football), Meredith Frank (women's lacrosse), Ellen Grigg (women's swimming), J.A. Happ (baseball), Tyler Miller (men's soccer), Kate Rudkin Groza (women's fencing), Paul Torricelli (coach – men's tennis), and honorary member Chris Combe.
Only the fifth player in Big Ten history to record career marks of over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, Coffey became the first player in program history to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors all four years as a Wildcat.
She holds the program's career record for rebounds (1,183), free throws made (496), and consecutive double-digit scoring games (66), and ranks second in points (2,287) and blocked shots (229). Coffey was the annual team leader in scoring and rebounding in each season of her career. She set school's single-season rebounding record with 344 total boards during the 2015-16 season.
After her illustrious college career, Coffey became the first Wildcat to be selected in the WNBA Draft when she was picked fifth overall in 2017 by the San Antonio Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces). In addition to the Dream, her WNBA career includes year-long stints with the Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks.
Coffey went to Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota where she was a McDonald's All-American. Her father is former NBA player, Richard Coffey; her brother Amir Coffey, plays for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.
In addition to Australia—where her team is currently preparing for the playoffs has has won four previous WNBL titles—she’s previously played internationally in several other countries, including France, Turkey, Poland and Israel.
Still, she says, the recent growth and exposure of the WNBA is taking the game at home to a new level and has helped the player experience. “It’s a gift to play in your home country,” she adds. “Nothing beats that!”