Ashleen Bracey enters her fourth season as the head women’s basketball coach for the UIC Flames going into the 2025-26 season.
Bracey earned the title of the 2023-24 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Women's NCAA Division I Co-Coach of the Year in her second season. This achievement marked the first time a Flames' coach received the award since its inception in 2007.
Under Bracey's guidance, UIC finished 18-16 in 2023-24, earning the program's second consecutive postseason tournament berth and first trip to the WNIT since 2007. In their second go-round in the Valley, the Flames emerged as one of the MVC’s top defensive units, ranking third in scoring defense (66.2 points per game allowed).
It also marked the second consecutive winning season for the Flames, something the program has not done in a decade (2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons). In further evidence of Bracey's impact and the skyrocketing trajectory of the UIC program under her leadership, the Flames are 37-33 in her two years at the helm (they had 37 combined wins in the seven seasons prior to her arrival).
Bracey had a memorable first season back home in Chicago, leading the Flames to a 19-win season, a postseason appearance and a tie for the second-most wins by a head coach in school history. The Flames began the 2022-23 season going 8-1, accumulating more wins then they had over the past three seasons combined. They tied the 1976-77 and the 2013-14 teams for the best start over a nine game span.
After being projected to place 12th in UIC’s inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference, Bracey and her coaching staff led the Flames to a 10-12 record against conference opponents, and a sixth place seed in the 2023 MVC Women’s Basketball Championship at Hoops in the Heartland in Moline, Illinois. The Flames faced off against the No 11. Valparaiso in the opening round, where they came away with the victory, 72-47. This was the first conference tournament win for UIC since the 2016-17 season.
UIC’s play in the conference garnered a postseason bid for Bracey and her staff at the Women’s Basketball Invitational. This was only the third postseason appearance by the Flames, and their second time in the WBI. They finished the three-day tournament in Lexington, Kentucky with a 1-2 record.
A native of nearby Oak Park, Ill., and former standout student-athlete at Illinois State University, Bracey arrived at UIC in March 2022 after spending the past six seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri, a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) at. During her tenure at Mizzou working alongside head coach Robin Pingeton, Bracey was instrumental in helping the Tigers reach three NCAA Tournaments and make two WNIT appearances.
Bracey played a pivotal role in Missouri’s recruiting efforts during her time in Columbia. Of note, she led efforts to sign the nation’s 12th-ranked recruiting class in 2019, regarded as the best in program history. The group included Aijha Blackwell, the top prospect in the state of Missouri and No. 9 in the country, as ranked by espnW.
The Flames head coach mentored seven All-SEC players and three All-SEC Freshman Team standouts while at Mizzou. In addition to Blackwell, All-Conference honorees coached by Bracey also include three-time All-SEC First Team selection Sophie Cunningham, the 13th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury.
Mizzou won at least 20 games three times in Bracey’s six seasons, including 24 victories in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns. The Tigers won 18 games in 2021-22, including an overtime thriller against No. 1 South Carolina and a road win at No. 15 Florida to close out the regular season. Bracey was responsible for developing and administering the game plan and scouting reports for both MU triumphs.
Bracey cut her coaching teeth at several stops prior to arriving at Mizzou. From 2012-15, she served as the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at UAB. She also spent time on staffs at Ball State University and Eureka College.
As a student-athlete, Bracey starred on the hardwood at Illinois State from 2006-10. She was a three-year starter for Pingeton and the Redbirds and was a key contributor on three Missouri Valley Conference championship squads. During her time at ISU, Bracey and her teammates reached the postseason each year, qualifying for the 2008 NCAA Tournament and making three appearances in the WNIT, reaching the semifinals in 2009 and 2010.
As a senior in 2009-10, Bracey served as team captain and earned All-MVC First Team honors, as well as a spot on the conference’s All-Defensive Team. She was selected MVC Player of the Week four times during that campaign and earned recognition on the 2009-10 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.
She tallied 1,194 points as a Redbird, and shot over 50% from the floor for her career. Her 765 career rebounds tie her for fifth most in program history. Bracey tallied 21 double-doubles in her Redbird career.
Upon graduating from Illinois State in 2010 with a degree in Criminal Justice Sciences, Bracey played professional basketball in Greece for one year prior to transitioning to the sideline as a coach.
Bracey attended Oak Park-River Forest High School, where she was a three-time All-West Suburban Conference honoree for the Huskies. Her brothers also played college basketball, Bryan (Oregon) and Chris (West Texas A&M), and went on to professional careers in Europe.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT ASHLEEN BRACEY
Josie Filer, UIC forward, 2022-23:
“Considering I was a grad transfer and my playing career at UIC was short-lived, it was by far the most impactful. I can credit a lot of that to Coach Bracey. She encouraged me and challenged me to break out of bad habits, both on and off the court. It changed my life for the better.
She practices what she preaches, and has so much unconditional love for the Flames family. Her work ethic, resilience, and relationship-driven mindset were huge factors in our success in the 2022-23 season. The foundation and pillars she laid down for our program was easy to buy into, creating a system that prepares us well for the outside world as strong women. I am very fortunate to have been a part of her first year head coaching. I can’t wait to watch as this program keeps growing.”
Robin Pingeton, Missouri Head Coach:
“There are simply no words to express how proud I am of Ashleen. I have known her since she was 16 years old and it has been incredible to see her growth on and off the court. She is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the game, has an incredible work ethic, and is just a phenomenal leader. UIC has hit a home run with this hire and there is no doubt in my mind she is going to elevate that program to unprecedented new heights.”
Randy Norton, UAB Head Coach:
“Ashleen is a tenacious recruiter and has an outstanding mind for the game. I believe she will be a superstar in our game and UIC is very blessed to have her leading their program.”
Steffi Sorensen, ESPN Analyst:Stay
“Right away I think about her deep ties to the Midwest and the city of Chicago. She’s proven that she can recruit all over the country, bringing in top-tier talent while at Missouri and coaching in one of the toughest conferences. Ashleen takes the time to get to know recruits as people first and foremost. Her ability to take those relationships and invest in a player’s development on and off the floor is top notch.”
Derita Ratcliffe Dawkins, Assistant Vice Chancellor/Deputy AD for Student-Athlete Wellness at Arkansas:
“I'm so happy that Coach Bracey is getting this opportunity to lead her own program. I know this has been a goal of hers for quite some time and I look forward to seeing what she does with the UIC program. It’s been an honor to see her grow as a coach.”
