This year’s version of the women?s basketball team will feature an impressive line-up of recruits that will not even take the court. They’re quite possibly the best group of basketball talent to ever represent Sac State and never bang the boards nor shoot a jumper.

Instead, this gem of a recruiting class will captain the sidelines as coaches rather than the floor as players.

The influx of young coaching talent began when Carolyn Jenkins was named head coach and it continued recently when Stanford alum and former WNBA player Molly Goodenbour, accepted a position as assistant coach. The deal was finalized and announced by Jenkins Sept. 19.

Jenkins, who helped coach the Stanford Cardinals as well as Goodenbour (who played point guard) to two national championships in the early 90’s, welcomed the opportunity to coach alongside her former player.

“I’m excited to have Molly as part of our coaching staff,” Jenkins said. “I think her experience at both the collegiate and professional level will be invaluable to this program.”

Goodenbour, who played just one season in the WNBA with the Monarchs, sat out last season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament during training camp. Before making the jump over into the much more popular WNBA, Goodenbour played two seasons in the American Basketball Association with the Portland Power and the Richmond Rage.

Goodenbour’s professional career originally blossomed overseas when she left her assistant coaching position at the University of San Fransisco to play with Sweden’s Linkoping Dambasket in 1995-96.

Although her professional career was short-lived, Jenkins believes it will be Goodenbour’s success at the collegiate level that will shine through, especially as the Hornets’ season wears on.

“With the type of playing experience she has, she will be a great example for the girls this season,” Jenkins said.

The succes Jenkins is referring to is Goodenbour’s experience in the NCAA basketball tournament, or the Big Dance. During her four years at Stanford, Goodenbour led the Cardinals to two national championships, while garnering Final Four Most Outstanding Player during the 1992 tournament.

She graduated with a career record of 114-16, a fashion for winning Jenkins hopes will rub off on her program.

“Hopefully, she is what they’ll aspire to be,” said Jenkins.

As the Cardinals’ floor general, Goodenbour rewrote Stanford history by drilling 74 three-pointers during her senior year. Goodenbour also recorded a 13.2 scoring average while dishing out 5.9 assists per game during her final year at Stanford.

Yet no matter how many three-pointers Goodenbour has made, it has been her ability to pass the ball and make the players around her better that has impressed Jenkins.

“Her teaching ability is absolutely outstanding,” Jenkins said. “She is able to teach the work ethic it will take to get to her level of play.”