Mississippi State women’s basketball head coach announced the addition of former Mississippi Bulldog and current WNBA player Victoria Vivians to the staff as an assistant coach/director of scouting ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Vivians currently plays for the Seattle Storm, averaging 4.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Beginning in October, she will join the program and assist Purcell during the WNBA off-season.
“It is a dream come true to join Coach Purcell and the staff at Mississippi State,” Vivians said in a statement. “This place is special and has always been home to me. The support for women’s basketball in this community is unrivaled, and it means the world to me to be able to represent this program, university, and the state of Mississippi. I loved my time playing in Maroon and White in front of the best fans in the country, and now I am thankful to Coach Purcell for the opportunity to be a part of a program that I love and to pour into our student-athletes both on and off the court.”
Vivians spent four years at Mississippi State from 2014-2018, where she recorded 2,527 points, 783 rebounds, 218 steals, and 202 assists. Vivians was instrumental in helping the Bulldogs to four straight NCAA Tournament berths, including back-to-back NCAA National Championship game appearances in 2017 and 2018.
Vivians, who won the Gillom Trophy—given to the state’s top women’s college basketball player—all four years at Mississippi State, finished ninth in the Southeastern Conference in career scoring. She also finished second in program history in career field goals (923) and three-pointers (281). She was a four-time Gillom Trophy winner, becoming the first freshman to win the award in 2015. She was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team and was an Associated Press First-Team All-American after her senior season in 2018 before being selected eighth overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
“This is a home run hire to bring Victoria Vivians back home to be a part of our staff at Mississippi State,” Purcell said in a statement. “It has always been a priority of mine to surround our student-athletes with additions that will equip them to be successful both on and off the court. Victoria has shined throughout her entire career and is still excelling at the highest level in our sport. There is no doubt that she will be a great resource and mentor to our student-athletes.”
The Carthage native is the latest addition Purcell has made to his staff after the Bulldogs missed the 2024 NCAA Tournament, going 23-12 overall and 8-8 in conference play.
“Victoria helped transform this program and brought it to national prominence during her time in Maroon and White,” Purcell said. “This program, university, and the state of Mississippi are in her blood. To have that energy, commitment, and love for this place, combined with her knowledge of the game and her ability to teach it, will be invaluable to our program and elevate it to another level. I can’t wait for her to arrive and watch her continue to have an impact every day.”
Amara Bullard is a Marketing + Media student at Loyola University in Chicago aspiring to work in basketball operations.
