Trust and Familiarity: Nicole Woods welcomes Jama Sharp to UNCW Women’s Basketball

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — The UNCW women’s basketball program is entering the offseason with several new faces, both on the roster and on the coaching staff, as the Seahawks prepare for the upcoming season.

Head Coach Nicole Woods said the team has already begun offseason workouts, and that she’s excited about the group assembled in the Port City.

“I’m super excited,” Woods said. “All of them are here. We actually have one international who won’t get here until the fall, unfortunately. We started workouts, and I’m really excited about the group.”

Among the additions is assistant coach Jama Sharp, a former Division I player and Division II head coach who brings an offensive background and previous coaching experience to the program.

“I think I’m bring experience offensive-wise, on a new team, where we have new culture and new pieces,” Sharp said. “Obviously being a head coach as well.”

The hire reunites Woods and Sharp, who have known each other for more than a decade. Sharp played two seasons at Stetson while Woods served as an assistant coach, helping the Hatters capture the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.

Woods said she saw Sharp’s work ethic from the beginning.

“I remember her first workout,” Woods said. “She had never played man defense before. To see her go from never playing man defense and being awful at it to being all-defense before she left, that shows you the kind of work ethic that she has.”

Sharp recalled that first practice and credited Woods for pushing her through difficult moments.

“I just remember my freshman year going in and playing against two top guards, including Victoria McGowan, who is in the A-SUN Hall of Fame,” Sharp said. “They were beating me. I was really dragging, and she was just there yelling at me from the sidelines, encouraging me and motivating me to get through the workout. As a coach, she is one of the biggest encouragers I have ever been around.”

Woods said the long-standing relationship made the decision to bring Sharp onto her staff an easy one.

“I trust her,” Woods said. “That trust thing is hard for us coaches, especially when you bring someone on staff that maybe you know, but you don’t know from a coaching side. You don’t know someone until you work with them, one way or the other. So I know her, I trust her, and I know what to expect.”

Sharp, who is from Indiana, is expected to play a significant role in developing the Seahawks’ offense as the program continues to build its coaching staff ahead of the new season.