PROVIDENCE – Cindy Blodgett, a four-time NCAA All-American, former WNBA player and head of the Lincoln School’s physical education department, has been named the school’s head varsity basketball coach.
Effective for the 2019-20 season, Blodgett will take over for Jamal Shipman, who is stepping down after four years. In that time, the team transitioned from the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council to the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.
“Excited and humbled” to assume the head varsity basketball position at the all-girl school, Blodgett said in a statement: “I can utilize my past experience to enhance the program. … Here, academics and athletics are so intertwined. We will build the program with competitiveness and a team-first focus and look forward to being active members and leaders within the Lincoln community and beyond.”
After 16 years of coaching in the collegiate community, at schools including Boston University, Brown University and the University of Maine, Blodgett joined the Lincoln School faculty in August. She played at the University of Maine from 1994 to 1998, scoring 3,005 points – a university record – and helping the team move on to four NCAA tournament appearances.
In the first round of the 1998 WNBA draft, Blodgett was selected by the Cleveland Rockers. She played with the Rockers for one season before being traded to the Sacramento Monarchs, where she played until 2001. Her tenure as a professional player also includes stints in France and South Korea.
Blodgett will continue to serve as head of the physical education department.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
