Thomas and Hackney move from the court to the bench

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon women's basketball team made some staff changes this past summer, looking to improve the team's chemistry on-and-off the court. After eight non-conference wins, the Lopes are reaping the rewards from adding Krystal Thomas and Kendall Hackney to the coaching staff.

"We are thankful for the new positions that were given to us this year," head coach Trent May said. "I wanted people that would embrace this university and be hungry for the high standards that we have here and both Krystal & Kendall met those requirements."

Both Thomas and Hackney are coming off impressive careers at Duke and Northwestern and the tools they learned at the elite programs are being passed down to the players at Grand Canyon.

Thomas brings an impressive resume to Grand Canyon and is ready to teach the younger generation after paying in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever. As captain at Duke, the Blue Devils won back-to-back ACC regular season titles and tournament titles with two straight appearances in the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament.

"Krystal played at such a high level at Duke and was a main player when that program was at their peak," May said. "Her experience of playing in the WNBA and overseas will only help her mentor our players. She wants to instill greatness into our players and she has done that so far."

After also playing in China, France and Spain, Thomas has now taken on the challenge of molding young players at GCU. Two years ago when she played for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, Thomas had the opportunity to come to the campus of Grand Canyon University and speak to the students.

"GCU had the perfect package I was looking for as a coach," Thomas said. "When coach May asked me to come out for a visit to the campus, I immediately felt the energy and the vibe on campus. After talking to president Mueller I liked where GCU is at and I love where they want to go."

It has come full circle for Thomas as she still has the shirt that she was given after speaking at GCU and now coach May has given her the chance to help lead this women's basketball team in the right direction.

"Coach May is such a great boss because he is open to new ideas and it has been a breath of fresh air," Thomas said. "He has created a great atmosphere and he instantly makes you feel like you are a part of his family."

Coming to Grand Canyon as the director of basketball operations, Hackney has provided another shoulder for the coaches to lean on and another voice for the players to provide support and advice on the court. Hackney came to Grand Canyon after a decorated career at Northwestern from 2009-13 setting the record for 126 games played, never missing a game during her career. Hackney ranks ninth all-time in NU history with 1,547 career points and was an All-Big Ten selection, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and was a Capital One Academic All-District Selection.

"Kendall had everything we were looking for in order to be a member of our staff from being a team captain at Northwestern to being an All-Academic player in the Big Ten Conference," May said. "She does so many things that you may not see but she is the glue that keeps us organized and she has been a blessing to have on this staff."

The native of Cincinnati, Ohio has been in the same shoes as the players at GCU and is able to give advice when dealing with schoolwork and basketball.

"It was an easy decision to join GCU because it is first, a Christian school, and I wanted to be a part of coach May's staff," Hackney said. "I am thankful for my experience playing at Northwestern and experiencing Big Ten basketball so having the opportunity to pass down what I have learned is something I am honored to do."

Together, Thomas and Hackney bring a wealth of knowledge that only helps the program elevate to the next level by bringing a level of standards that coach May requires. Both Thomas and Hackney share an office and the two have developed a friendship on and off the court and now they are able to have a positive impact on college basketball player's lives.

"There is a lot of power in that office," Thomas said with a chuckle. "It helps so much to have females who just got done playing the game of basketball and are able to relate to the players. We don't just talk-the-talk but we walk-the-walk. We challenge the players but it its nothing that we haven't done."

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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