Tanya Clark enters her fifth season as assistant coach for Academy of Art University women's basketball.
The 2014-15 season saw ART U go 18-11 overall and 13-7 in PacWest Conference play, marking the fourth consecutive season in which the program has won 16+ games (all under Larson and her staff). Academy of Art was strong at home (8-4) and went on to earn a conference tournament berth with wins in six of its final seven regular season games. The Urban Knights fell to Azusa Pacific in the opening round of the PacWest Conference Championship Tournament, but still had two All-PacWest Team honorees with Jasmin Guinn (First Team) and Zoie Sheng (Third Team) who both achieved multiple record-setting milestones as juniors.
With Coach Clark on staff, the Urban Knights repeated as PacWest Conference Tournament Champions in 2013-14 and added the program's first conference regular season title as well, going 23-8 overall and 18-2 in PacWest play. Academy of Art saw highlights such as breaking the 100-point barrier for the first time in a 101-47 win over BYU-Hawaii before two record 60-point halves combined to set ART U's new scoring record in a 120-69 domination of Chaminade. En route to the PacWest regular season championship, Academy of Art had a program record 11-game win streak spanning more than a month from Jan. 20 - Feb. 24.
ART U went on to defeat Dixie State and California Baptist in the PacWest Championship Tournament and made its second NCAA Tournament appearance where the Knights fell in a heartbreaker to Montana State Billings despite having two chances to win in the final seconds. The program celebrated its first NCAA All-American in Krystal Forthan who was also named PacWest Player and Newcomer of the Year as well as MVP of the PacWest Tournament. Along with Forthan, the rest of ART U's stellar sophomore starting lineup, Zoie Sheng, Sha'Nice Storey, Regina Camera, and Jasmin Guinn, were all recognized on the All-PacWest Team. Guinn additionally earned the title of PacWest Defensive Player of the Year and head coach LaNay Larson was selected as PacWest Coach of the Year for the first time in her career.
ART U's 2012-13 season saw tremendous success with Coach Clark on its staff as the program went 23-9 overall and 16-5 in Pacific West Conference play for its winningest year to date. The season began with the Urban Knights never trailing for their first 170 minutes played as they won four in a row to start. Academy of Art would later knock off #17 Pittsburg State, sweep its three-game Hawaii roadtrip for the second consecutive year, and initiate a program-record nine-game win streak (tied most by any team in ART U athletics history to date) with an overtime win hosting #13 Grand Canyon.
The team's final three victories of the year (one of which was another overtime victory versus Grand Canyon) led them to a PacWest Conference Tournament Championship (the first in conference history) and thus a NCAA Tournament appearance in the program's first year of eligibility. Three Urban Knights received All-PacWest honors in addition to Jordan Rogers being named MVP of the PacWest Conference Championship Tournament.
In her first year (2011-12), Coach Clark helped the Urban Knights women's basketball to new heights with a season highlighted by a nine-game win streak (including a 4-0 stretch in Hawaii), a chance to contend for the PacWest Conference title, and a huge upset victory over PacWest's only ranked team, Grand Canyon (#16 at the time), late in the year. Following the winningest year in program history (16-10 overall, 12-6 PacWest), four ART U athletes were also named to the All-PacWest Second Team.
Clark is a familiar face within the Pacific West Conference as she recently played for the Dixie State College Women’s Basketball team from 2008 to 2010. While at school, Clark worked with the Dixie State Men’s & Women’s Basketball Camps during a pair of summers.
It did not take long for Clark to step into a leadership role with the Red Storm. She was named team captain in 2009 and would collect All-PacWest Second Team honors in both of her seasons there. A regular starting forward throughout the two years, Clark averaged 7.8 rebounds per game in 2008-09 which was third highest in the conference. She grabbed an impressive 13 rebounds on two occasions that year and added 9.2 points per game. Clark completed her collegiate playing career with the Red Storm averaging 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game along with a .750 career free throw percentage.
Clark finished within the top five of Dixie State’s All-Time single-season records in both rebounding (213 in 2008-09) and steals (61 in 2009-10). She is also tied for third among the Red Storm’s single-game record holders for most free throws made (11). Clark earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Dixie State in 2010.
Prior to joining Red Storm women’s basketball, Clark played for two years at Arizona Western College. During the 2007-08 season, she was the Matadors’ third leading scorer (10.1 ppg) and leading rebounder (7.4 rpg), while helping lead AWC to a 21-9 overall record.
Clark grew up in Cherry Valley, CA and attended Beaumont High School in Beaumont, CA. She coached girls in summer basketball clinics for two summers as an upperclassman. As a player, she garnered All-De Anza League and All-Riverside County honors playing basketball for the Cougars. Clark also participated in varsity softball and cross country, and was a member of the Nike Lady Swoops club basketball team.
