Mery Andrade

Mery Andrade is entering her third season with the Toreros under head coach Cindy Fisher. Andrade assists coach Fisher with all aspects of the game. In her first year at USD, Andrade helped lead the Toreros to a 24-8 record and a 14-4 mark in WCC play, good for second place.

The Toreros qualified for the WNIT and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16. Andrade helped Maya Hood win WCC Defensive Player of the Year and Malina Hood capture All-WCC First Team honors. Andrade, a native of Lisbon, Portugal, came to USD after a very successful professional playing career that spanned over 10 seasons in both the WNBA and Italy. Andrade spent half of her playing career with the WNBA's Cleveland Rockers, after being drafted in 1999. She played for Cleveland for five seasons, scoring 588 points, while shooting .381 from the field, and she pulled down 292 rebounds.

After her time with Cleveland, Andrade took her talents overseas to Italy, where she played for the Pool Comense, Como from 2001-02. Then from 2003-06, she played with the Naples Basketball Vomero, and from 2006-10, she played for the Umana Venezia. Andrade did return to the WNBA for one season in 2004 to play for the Charlotte Sting. She then returned to Italy, where Andrade played for the Le Mura Lucca from 2010-12, before traveling to Portugal where she played for Lambos from 2012-13. Andrade then finished off her career in 2014-15 back in Italy, where she played for the Dike Basket Napoli.

During her professional career, Andrade helped the Pool Comense team win the Italian Championship in the 2001-02 season; helped the Napoli Vomero win the 2005 FIBA Cup (Europe); and in 2008, she helped lead the Umana Venezia to the Italian Cup championship. She also helped lead the Rockers into the WNBA playoffs twice in her five seasons with the organization.

In college, Andrade was the heart and soul of Lady Monarch teams of Old Dominion University from 1995-99, where she excelled under coach Fisher, who was an assistant coach at ODU during Andrade's time there. She was named the CAA co-Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in her senior season of 1998-99. She ranks fourth all-time in CAA history with 382 career steals. Andrade was also a three-time All-CAA selection and three-time CAA All-Defensive team selection. The Lady Monarchs reached the NCAA round of 16 three times, and in 1997, they advanced to the National Championship game with Andrade leading the charge. In 2010, she as inducted into the ODU Hall of Fame.

Andrade brings coaching credentials as well having served as the coach for the 2009 and 2012 seasons for the Summer Basketball Camp, "Torneo Mery Andrade," in Lisbon, Portugal. She then served as a player/assistant coach in 2011-12 for the Le Mura Basket, Lucca team in Italy. After another assistant coaching stop for the junior basketball team in Lucca from 2010-13, she then served as the head coach for the U14 Quinta dos Lambos Team.

Andrade is a 1999 graduate of Old Dominion University, and holds a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education from ODU. She also holds a Personal Trainer Certificate at the F.I.F. (Fitness Italian Federation).