Introduction
Alaina Coates (born April 7, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the University of South Carolina.
High School career
Coates enjoyed a stellar high school career. She was both a McDonald's and Parade All-American. She was chosen as the 2013 Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year, South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) Class 4A Player of the Year, Charlotte Observer South Carolina Miss Basketball, and became a three-time SCBCA Class 4A all-state selection.
During her senior season, she posted 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game while leading her team to back-to-back state championships (including an undefeated 29-0 season in 2012-2013.)
College career
Heavily recruited by power programs, she was ranked the 28th overall player as part of a high profile 2013 recruiting class. After receiving offers from Tennessee, and Georgia, she eventually chose South Carolina to stay local play for the hometown team. She went on to become a 4x All-SEC player, and All-American. Coates played a crucial part in helping South Carolina become a national powerhouse. In her senior season, Coates injured her ankle, which caused her to miss South Carolina's SEC Tourney & National Championship run. Coates finished the season averaging 13.4 ppg and 11.1 rpg.
College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2013–14 | South Carolina | 29 | 19.2 | .630 | .000 | .658 | 7.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 12.2 |
| 2014–15 | South Carolina | 28 | 20.7 | .526 | .000 | .705 | 8.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 10.6 |
| 2015–16 | South Carolina | 29 | 26.7 | .655 | .000 | .551 | 10.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 11.7 |
| 2016–17 | South Carolina | 27 | 27.5 | .670 | .000 | .653 | 11.1 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 13.4 |
| Career | South Carolina | 113 | 23.5 | .622 | .000 | .644 | 9.3 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 12.0 |
Source
Professional career
WNBA
After her senior season, Coates was drafted 2nd overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2017 WNBA Draft. In April 2017, it was announced that Coates would miss part of the 2017 WNBA season following ankle surgery. However, a timetable for her return still wasn't determined and Coates would end up missing the entire season.
Personal life
Alaina is the daughter of Gary and Pamela Coates. She has an older brother, Gary. Her uncle, Ben Coates, is retired from the NFL and was a member of the Baltimore Ravens first Super Bowl. While at South Carolina, she majored in sociology.