How Mercury's Smith Became A Head Coach

Charmin Smith spent some time with the Phoenix Mercury, and now, she is doing great things as a coach.

Feb 1, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Charmin Smith (center) talks to players during the second quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Charmin Smith is a part of Phoenix Mercury history, as she spent some time with them. She started her career elsewhere, but she made her way to Phoenix in what was her last season.

Smith started her career with the Minnesota Lynx. She signed a deal with them in 1999, and she played 13 games with them. That was Minnesota's first season, and the team finished the season with a record of 15-17.

Oct 25, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; California Golden Bears coach Charmin Smith (center) poses with guards Kemery Martin (15) and Jayda Curry (30) during Pac-12 Women's Basketball Media Day at the Pac-12 Network Studios. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After that, Smith was a part of an expansion draft, and she was drafted by the Seattle Storm. She spent two years with the Storm, and in her first season, she played 32 games. She started in three of those outings, and during that time, she had her career high.

Smith had 10 points against the Portland Fire, and the Storm had four players who scored in double figures. She was one of three players who scored 10 points, and all of them came off the bench. Seattle's leading scorer in that game was Jamie Redd, and she had 14 points.

Oct 9, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; California head coach Charmin Smith during ACC Media Days at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

After playing 32 games in the first season, Smith did the same in her second. She averaged 1.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists that year.

Smith comes to Phoenix

Later on, Smith was waived, and she did not play in the 2002 season. However, she joined a new team in 2003 as she made her way to Phoenix. She played four games with the Mercury, and she was waived after that.

Smith started her coaching career that year, as she was a part of Boston College's staff. She headed to Stanford a bit later, and that was where she spent her college years. She averaged 4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in her final year.

The Mercury player continued her coaching journey, and that included a stint with the New York Liberty.

Eventually, she became the head coach of California, and she remains the coach to this day.

Sep 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Charmin Smith court side during the the game between the Golden State Valkyries and New York Liberty during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Smith became the school's coach in 2019, and in her first season, the Golden Bears were 12-19. The second year was a struggle, but after that season, the team started to improve. The Golden Bears went 25-9 in the 2024-25 season, and they played Mississippi State in the NCAA tournament.

Some of Phoenix's former players have become coaches, and they have found some success.

Please follow us on X to read more about past Mercury players like Charmin Smith when you click right here!

feed