Portland State University Women's Basketball

Zimmerman is in her first year as an assistant womens basketball coach at Portland State. She will work with the teams guards as well as serve as the teams travel coordinator. She will also assist with academics and scouting.   Zimmerman comes to the park blocks after serving three seasons as an assistant coach under Head Coach Lynn Kennedy at Southern Oregon University.   While at Southern Oregon, Zimmerman served as the travel coordinator and was responsible for student-athlete academic standards, monitoring and retention.   During her time at in Ashland, the Raiders posted their best record in 16 years going 27-5 in 2014-15 and were ranked as high as No. 13 in the country. She helped Southern Oregon to two NAIA National Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2015 and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2015.   Zimmerman also spent four years as an assistant coach at the University of Great Falls. She coached a pair of future NAIA All-Americans while in Great Falls. The team was the top-ranked academic team among NAIA womens basketball teams, with a 3.65 GPA.   Zimmerman graduated from the University of Great Falls with a M.A. in Secondary Education. She graduated from Southern Oregon with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education with a minor in Spanish.   THE CHELSEY ZIMMERMAN FILE 1st year at Portland State   Hometown: Monroe, WA Alma Mater: M.A. Secondary Education, University of Great Falls, 2011; B.S. Health and Physical Education, Southern Oregon, 2009 Playing Experience: Southern Oregon, 2005-08; New Mexico Highlands, 2004-05   COACHING EXPERIENCE 2013-15         Southern Oregon, Assistant Coach 2009-13         University of Great Falls, Assistant Coach 2008-09         Southern Oregon, Assistant Coach     Chelsey Zimmerman Assistant Coach Twitter: ViksWBB Chelsey Zimmerman is in her first year as an assistant womens basketball coach at Portland State. She will work with the teams guards as well as serve as the teams travel coordinator. She will also assist with academics and scouting.   Zimmerman comes to the park blocks after serving three seasons as an assistant coach under Head Coach Lynn Kennedy at Southern Oregon University.   While at Southern Oregon, Zimmerman served as the travel coordinator and was responsible for student-athlete academic standards, monitoring and retention.   During her time at in Ashland, the Raiders posted their best record in 16 years going 27-5 in 2014-15 and were ranked as high as No. 13 in the country. She helped Southern Oregon to two NAIA National Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2015 and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2015.   Zimmerman also spent four years as an assistant coach at the University of Great Falls. She coached a pair of future NAIA All-Americans while in Great Falls. The team was the top-ranked academic team among NAIA womens basketball teams, with a 3.65 GPA.   Zimmerman graduated from the University of Great Falls with a M.A. in Secondary Education. She graduated from Southern Oregon with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education with a minor in Spanish.   THE CHELSEY ZIMMERMAN FILE 1st year at Portland State   Hometown: Monroe, WA Alma Mater: M.A. Secondary Education, University of Great Falls, 2011; B.S. Health and Physical Education, Southern Oregon, 2009 Playing Experience: Southern Oregon, 2005-08; New Mexico Highlands, 2004-05   COACHING EXPERIENCE 2013-15         Southern Oregon, Assistant Coach 2009-13         University of Great Falls, Assistant Coach 2008-09         Southern Oregon, Assistant Coach     Chelsey Zimmerman is in her first year as an assistant womens basketball coach at Portland State. She will work with the teams guards as well as serve as the teams travel coordinator. She will also assist with academics and scouting.   Zimmerman comes to the park blocks after serving three seasons as an assistant coach under Head Coach Lynn Kennedy at Southern Oregon University.   While at Southern Oregon, Zimmerman served as the travel coordinator and was responsible for student-athlete academic standards, monitoring and retention.   During her time at in Ashland, the Raiders posted their best record in 16 years going 27-5 in 2014-15 and were ranked as high as No. 13 in the country. She helped Southern Oregon to two NAIA National Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2015 and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2015.   Zimmerman also spent four years as an assistant coach at the University of Great Falls. She coached a pair of future NAIA All-Americans while in Great Falls. The team was the top-ranked academic team among NAIA womens basketball teams, with a 3.65 GPA.   Zimmerman graduated from the University of Great Falls with a M.A. in Secondary Education. She graduated from Southern Oregon with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education with a minor in Spanish.   THE CHELSEY ZIMMERMAN FILE 1st year at Portland State   Hometown : Monroe, WA Alma Mater : M.A. Secondary Education, University of Great Falls, 2011; B.S. Health and Physical Education, Southern Oregon, 2009 Playing Experience : Southern Oregon, 2005-08; New Mexico Highlands, 2004-05   COACHING EXPERIENCE 2013-15         Southern Oregon, Assistant Coach 2009-13         University of Great Falls, Assistant Coach 2008-09         Southern Oregon, Assistant Coach    

Karlie Burris opened up a new era for the Portland State women's basketball program when she was announced as the Vikings' new head coach on April 4, 2025. She will enter her second year at the helm during the 2026-27 season.   Burris came to the Vikings after being part of a highly successful four-year stretch at UNLV from 2021-25. Serving as an assistant coach under Lindy La Rocque, Burris helped lead the Lady Rebels to four straight Mountain West Conference regular-season titles, as well as three Mountain West Conference tournament titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024.   The Lady Rebels posted back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24. The successful run saw the Lady Rebels return to the AP Top 25 for the first time in 29 seasons on Feb. 13, 2023. They earned their highest AP ranking during Burris’ tenure at No. 20 on March 18, 2024. UNLV also made its first appearance in the final ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Coaches Top 25 in over 30 years at the end of the 2023-24 season, finishing the year at No. 24.   “We are extremely excited to bring Karlie into our Viking family. She’s been a key component in a winning culture the past four seasons at UNLV. Moreover, at every stage of the interview process, she displayed a dedication, focus and preparedness that will help turn around our women’s basketball program,” Billings said of Burris.   Burris led a dynamic group of posts at UNLV that included two-time Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 Finalist Desi-Rae Young. Young was also the first UNLV player in two decades to earn WBCA All-America honorable mention. Additionally, Burris led Nneka Obiazor and Meadow Roland to Mountain West Conference Sixth Player of the Year awards following the 2021-22 and 2024-25 seasons, respectively. Roland was also named Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year this past season.   “I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the new head women’s basketball coach at Portland State University. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Athletic Director Matt Billings, Senior Woman Administrator Jasmine Miller and the entire search committee for their belief and confidence in me to lead this program. I would also like to thank Lindy La Rocque for her mentorship and the invaluable experience I gained while winning championships at UNLV. That experience has played a pivotal role in preparing me for this incredible opportunity,” Burris said.   “I am thrilled to join the Portland State community and cannot wait to lead the women’s basketball program to new heights. Together, we will work hard, compete with passion, and create a winning culture that everyone can be proud of.”   As a recruiter, Burris helped sign Teagan Colvin, an ESPN Top 100 recruit, for UNLV. She also recruited and coached 2020 Big West Player of the Year, Raina Perez during three seasons as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton from 2017-20. Perez went on to be named a Nancy Lieberman Award Top 10 Finalist at NC State in 2021.   In addition to her work with Perez, Burris developed post player Daeja Smith into a two-time All-Big West selection and Lisa Leslie Award Watch List honoree while at Cal State Fullerton. She also mentored 2019 Big West Sixth Player of the Year Amiee Book.   Burris holds prior experience within the Big Sky Conference, having served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Arizona from 2012-17. She recruited two Big Sky Freshmen of the Year out of her four recruiting classes at NAU between Brittani Lusain (2014) and Alyssa Rader (2016).   Burris also has roots in Portland having played collegiately under Jim Sollars at the University of Portland from 2005-09. She was a two-time All-West Coast Conference honorable mention, helping lead the Pilots to their first postseason appearance in 10 seasons as a senior where they lost to Portland State in the first round of the WNIT. Burris and her wife, Samantha, live in Tualatin.   Karlie Burris Coaching Record Year Overall Big Sky Conf. Finish 2025-26 6-25 2-16 10th Total 6-25 (.194) 2-16 (.111)   COACHING EXPERIENCE Assistant Coach, UNLV (2021-25) Four straight Mountain West Conference regular-season titles (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) Three straight Mountain West Conference tournament titles (2022, 2023, 2024) Back-to-back 30-win seasons (2022-23, 2023-24) Three NCAA Tournament Appearances (2022, 2023, 2024) One WBIT Appearance (2025) Helped lead UNLV to first AP Top 25 appearance in 29 seasons (Peaked at No. 20 on March 18, 2024) Primary position coach for two-time Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 Finalist Desi-Rae Young Coached two Mountain West Sixth Players of the Year in Nneka Obiazor (2022) and Meadow Roland (2025)   Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Utah State (2020-21) Lead assistant coach, defensive coordinator and recruiter for Utah State Developed Aggies’ defensive strategies, implementing pre-game and mid-game adjustments  Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Cal State Fullerton (2017-20) Recruited Cal State Fullerton’s first Big West Player of the Year in nearly 30 years in 2020 honoree Raina Perez Developed post player Deaja Smith into a two-time All-Big West selection and Lisa Leslie Award Watch List honoree Developed and mentored 2019 Big West Sixth Player of the Year Amiee Book Improved transition offense by over 86% with new strategy implementation Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Northern Arizona (2012-17) Recruited two Big Sky Freshmen of the Year out of four recruiting classes (Brittani Lusain, 2014; Alyssa Rader, 2016) Recruited and coached two of the program’s four single-season scoring record holders Video Coordinator/Graduate Assistant, Seattle University (2011-12)   EDUCATION Seattle University, Master of Arts, Sports Administration & Leadership (2012) University of Portland, Bachelor of Arts, Sociology (2009)  

Someone head coach Karlie Burris described as her top draft choice when building her coaching staff, Kerri Nakamoto will serve her second year as associate head coach for the Vikings during the 2026-27 season. Nakamoto comes to the Vikings after four years as an assistant with Santa Clara University (2021-25). Nakamoto helped lead the Broncos to a 25-win season and a postseason berth in the WBIT where they made the second round in 2023-24. She developed seven All-West Coast Conference players with the Broncos, including five first-team selections. Three Broncos made the All-WCC freshman team during Nakamoto’s tenure, while she also coached and recruited the 2023 WCC Newcomer of the Year in Tess Heal.   "We’re incredibly excited to welcome Kerri Nakamoto to our staff here at Portland State,” Burris said of the hire. “Kerri brings a wealth of experience from every level of the game, and her basketball IQ, leadership, and player development skills will immediately elevate our program. She has a proven track record of building strong relationships and helping student-athletes grow both on and off the court. I can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have on our team and our culture from day one."   Nakamoto figures to bolster the Vikings’ defensive credentials. As the defensive coordinator for the Broncos, Santa Clara ranked in the top four of the WCC in field goal percentage defense, three-point field goal percentage defense and turnovers forced per game each of the past two seasons. She also oversaw player development, scouting and recruiting during her time on staff at Santa Clara.   "I am so excited to get to Portland State and start working with Coach Karlie,” Nakamoto said. “I have known Karlie for a long time and am thankful for the opportunity to work alongside her. She is an amazing basketball mind and recruiter, but an even better person. She is going to build something special at Portland State and I am thrilled to get to be a part of it.”   Prior to her time at Santa Clara, Nakamoto served as head coach of the University of Alaska Fairbanks for three seasons. During the 2019-20 season, she led Jocelyn Gandara to the scoring title within the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference. Gandara averaged 18.5 points per game that season when she also picked up Newcomer of the Year and all-conference second-team honors from the GNAC.   Nakamoto also led the Cal State Monterey Bay women’s basketball program from 2013-18. The Otters were ranked in the top 25 of NCAA Division II for points allowed during her tenure at the school.   Academics and community service have been points of emphasis for Nakamoto throughout her coaching career, no matter where she’s coached. At Santa Clara, five players earned first-team All-WCC Academic Team honors, while another 16 earned honorable mention. At Alaska Fairbanks, her players earned 11 GNAC All-Academic team honors in her three seasons, including the Business Administration School’s Student of the Year. Cal State Monterey Bay became heavily involved in community outreach during Nakamoto’s tenure as head coach. The Otters were a finalist for the NCAA Division II Excellence Award for Community Service/Outreach. The honor was for a program designed by Nakamoto called “Otters Play” where her team helped elementary school students be more physically active.   Nakamoto spent eight seasons in various capacities at Cal Poly, where she saw the Mustangs become perennial Big West Conference contenders. She helped Cal Poly make their first NCAA tournament appearance in program history during the 2012-13 season. They won the Big West Conference tournament that year after back-to-back regular-season titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Nakamoto coached and recruited four consecutive Big West Players of the Year for Cal Poly between 2010-13.   Off the court, Nakamoto was appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee from 2016-20. She has also served as a committee member for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Playing Rules and Officiating Group Committee (2016-19), the WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches’ All-America Committee (2016-21), and the WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll Committee (2016-18) as the CCAA representative. Additionally, she was a panelist for the 2021 NCAA Inclusion Forum for student-athlete mental health.   Nakamoto earned her master’s degree in education counseling and guidance from Cal Poly in 2009. She graduated from the University of San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. As a player at San Diego, Nakamoto was a two-time WCC honorable mention after setting the single-season and career records for three-pointers at the school. She also graduated sixth all-time in career scoring for the Toreros. She served as an assistant coach for San Diego for two years (2003-05) after graduating from the school.   Nakamoto is a native of San Jose, Calif., having graduated from Archbishop Mitty High School.  

Hailey King followed head coach Karlie Burris from UNLV to Portland State and will serve her second year as an assistant coach for the Vikings during the 2026-27 season.   King served as the director of player development and video coordinator for the Lady Rebels from 2022-25. She was part of the last three of UNLV’s four straight Mountain West Conference regular-season titles, as well as three of the team’s four straight postseason appearances and two of three Mountain West tournament titles.   “I'm incredibly excited to welcome Hailey King to our program. During her time at UNLV, she was part of a championship culture, contributing to one of the most successful stretches in program history,” Burris said of King.   “With her wide array of coaching experience, Hailey brings a winning mentality, a relentless work ethic, and a deep understanding of what it takes to compete at a high level. Hailey will immediately elevate our program and help us build something special here at PSU.”   King promises to elevate the Vikings’ analytics and scouting as the program seeks to return to contention within the Big Sky Conference. At UNLV, King was responsible for providing daily analytics to the coaching staff after practice and games. She also led individual, team, and position-specific film sessions with the Lady Rebels.   King coached as an assistant at Fullerton College from 2018-22, returning to the city where she played for Cal State Fullerton from 2011-15. At Fullerton College, King was responsible for the team's understanding of their offensive strategy, as well as the skill development of the team's guards. She also prepared scouting reports, led film sessions, and oversaw the team's strength and conditioning regimen.    “I want to thank Karlie for the incredible opportunity to join her first staff at Portland State University. Karlie is an exceptional leader with a unique ability to build and foster meaningful relationships, and I am honored to be part of her vision for the future of Viking Basketball,” King said of her hire.   “I am excited to work alongside Karlie and the rest of this amazing staff as we strive to build something truly special at Viking Pavilion. This program has so much potential, and I’m eager to contribute to its growth, both on and off the court. I look forward to working with the talented student-athletes at PSU and helping them develop as basketball players and young women.”   King also coached at Hope International University as an assistant from 2017-18, as well as serving as the head girls basketball coach at Mater Dei High School from 2015-17.   She graduated from Cal State Fullerton with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in kinesiology.  

A familiar face and proven developer of talent, Jodi Page brings experience both within the Big Sky Conference and working with Portland State head coach Karlie Burris as she officially joins the Vikings as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.   Page spent the past three seasons (2023-26) on the coaching staff at Sacramento State, helping lead the Hornets to a semifinal appearance at the 2026 Big Sky tournament. She also spent three seasons on staff at Eastern Washington (2015-18) where she helped guide the Eagles to three straight finishes in the top four of the conference.   As a developer, Page coached Eastern Washington’s Delaney Hodgins to back-to-back All-Big Sky first-team selections while Hodgins became the program’s all-time leading scorer.   Burris and Page overlapped while both assistant coaches at Cal State Fullerton during the 2019-20 season. Both helped develop Raina Perez into the Big West Conference Player of the Year.   “We are thrilled to welcome Jodi Page to our Portland State Women's Basketball family,” Burris said. “I've had the opportunity to coach alongside Jodi at Cal State Fullerton, so I know firsthand the passion, professionalism, and basketball knowledge she brings every single day. She has a tremendous ability to build meaningful relationships with student-athletes while holding them to a championship standard.   “Jodi's coaching experience in the Big Sky Conference gives her a strong understanding of our league, and her recent work in the development of Rubi Gray [All Big Sky Honorable Mention in 2025-26] is a testament to her ability to help players maximize their potential. She is an outstanding teacher of the game who will have an immediate impact on our player development, both on and off the court.”   Burris also noted Page’s recruiting connections to her native Australia. Gray was one such Australian who Page helped develop to where she led the Hornets with 14.2 points per game this past season. Page brings 20 years of coaching experience within her native country from all levels between the U12 and senior women’s team.   “I’m incredibly excited to join Coach Karlie Burris and her staff at Portland State. I’ve known Coach Burris for many years and have always admired not only her coaching ability, but, more importantly, the genuine relationships she builds with her student-athletes and the care she has for their success,” Page said of joining the Vikings.   “The opportunity to help mentor and develop the young women in this program is truly an honor, and I’m grateful to be part of the Viking family.”   Page’s other coaching stops include serving as an assistant coach at UNC Greensboro (2022-23), director of player personnel at New Mexico State (2021-22) and assistant director of operations at Arizona State (2018-19).   Page played collegiately at San Jose State (1988-90). She is also the mother of two NCAA Division I basketball players. Her son, Jorden, played for Saint Mary’s from 2009-13 while her daughter, Soraya, played at Florida International from 2013-17.   “[Jodi] has recruited and coached at a high level throughout her career, and her diverse experiences will elevate every aspect of our program,” Burris said. “I couldn't be more excited to have Jodi join our staff and help lead Portland State Women's Basketball into its next chapter.”  

A former player at Arizona with prior experience coaching within the Big Sky Conference, Reiko Thomas joined the Vikings as Director of Player Development ahead of the 2025-26 season. She'll serve her second year in that role during the 2026-27 season.   Thomas played all four years at Arizona, making the WNIT with the Wildcats as a junior during the 2010-11 season. Thomas then overlapped with Portland State head coach Karlie Burris at Northern Arizona, serving as a graduate assistant during Burris’ first two years as an assistant coach. After her time at NAU, Thomas served as a full-time assistant at Weber State from 2014-16, helping lead the Wildcats to the championship game of the Women’s Basketball Invitational after a 23-win season in 2015-16.   Thomas left Weber State to teach in an English Language Immersion Program from 2016-18, before getting back into coaching as an assistant at NCAA Division II Maryville University from 2018-20. She went into mentorship again after her stop at Maryville, working with Pathways Travels since 2021 until joining the Vikings.   “I am thrilled to round out our staff with the addition of Reiko Thomas. Having shared time together at Northern Arizona, I’ve seen firsthand her commitment to people, her competitive spirit, and her ability to connect with student-athletes on a deeper level,” Burris said of Thomas.   “As a former standout player at the University of Arizona and with coaching stops at Weber State and Maryville, Reiko brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience. What excites me most is the perspective she has gained from her time abroad and her work mentoring young people. Her passion for empowering others aligns perfectly with the values of our program. Reiko is going to make an immediate impact on our team, and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to the Viking family.”   As a player at Arizona, Thomas averaged 7.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while starting 58 games for the Wildcats over her four years. She scored a career-high 23 points as a freshman against Long Beach State on Dec. 14, 2008. She led the Wildcats with 20 points in a narrow loss to a nationally ranked UCLA team to close out the 2009-10 regular season.