Agugua-Hamilton Adds White and Hipp to Finalize Staff
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia women’s basketball head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton announced today (April 29) the hiring of Abby Hipp as the director of scouting and player development and Mariah White as the director of recruiting operations.
Both Hipp and White were members of the Missouri State women’s basketball team.
Hipp was a three-time captain for the Lady Bears, helping to lead her squad to two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and garnering an honorable mention for the 2021 All-Missouri Valley Conference team. While playing, she also doubled as a student-coach, helping to clip film and tallying in-game statistics. She spent one summer working as an administrative assistant in the women’s basketball office with an emphasis on assisting with recruiting. She was an active member of SAAC, serving as MSU’s representative for Missouri Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She earned a bachelor’s of science in business administrative management from Missouri State in 2021 and is finishing her master’s in business administration in July of this year.
“I am super excited to welcome Abby into our Wahoo family,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “I coached her for three years and know firsthand how her energy positively impacts everyone around her on a daily basis. She is a phenomenal young woman who is a future star in this business. She is an extremely consistent and reliable person who has a very high basketball IQ. She is the definition of a giver! Someone who truly understands the concept of we over me. She will enhance our program in a variety of ways and will be a tremendous mentor for our student-athletes!”
White began her playing career at Cleveland State where she was named the 2021 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year, selected from nearly 1,000 men’s and women’s nominees for best exemplifying the standards of scholarship, athleticism and humanitarianism. On the court, she was a two-time Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 19.6 points per game her senior season with the Vikings, leading them to the 2021 WBI Championship, the first postseason title in program history. She played the 2021-22 season at MSU, earning a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team as she played an integral part in helping the Lady Bears earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and studies at Cleveland State, she began work on a master’s in educational technology at Missouri State. She has been involved with SAAC serving as chair of CSU’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. She has also worked as a student-teacher and the operations supervisor at the CSU recreation center.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Mariah into our Wahoo family,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “I coached Mariah for one year and in that year she made an impact on me and her teammates that was indescribable. She has a bright future in this business and I’m glad I could give her that start. She is an extremely hard worker who understands the importance of culture and relationships and has a dynamic personality that draws people in. She will be a phenomenal mentor for our student-athletes and will provide positive energy at all times!”