Shonda Sanders is entering her fourth season as head coach of the Davenport University women’s basketball program after being named to the position in April 2022. Tasked with leading the Panthers back to form, Sanders continues to guide the program toward its first winning season since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2017. Under her leadership, Davenport remains focused on building a strong culture, climbing the GLIAC standings, and developing a competitive, growth-minded roster.
During her tenure, Sanders has been instrumental in the development of standout student-athletes, including 2024 graduate Lillee Gustafson, who earned Second Team All-GLIAC honors in both 2022–23 and 2023–24. Current seniors Ellie Toney and Nevaeh Williams have also been part of the program since Sanders’ arrival. Toney ranked tied for 11th in the GLIAC during the 2024–25 season, averaging 13.4 points per game.
Sanders brought valuable GLIAC and NCAA Division II experience to Davenport, having spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State University prior to joining the Panthers. During her time with the Cardinals, the program improved its win total each year, culminating in a 16–11 overall record and an 11–8 GLIAC mark in 2021–22, along with a third consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance.
Before her stint at SVSU, Sanders served as head coach at Delta College, a two-year institution in University Center, Michigan, where she led the team to back-to-back conference quarterfinal appearances.
A former standout player herself, Sanders began her coaching career at her alma mater, Central Michigan University, as the program’s video coordinator in 2015. As a player for the Chippewas from 2008–11, she scored 1,439 career points and connected on 230 three-pointers. She became the 19th player in CMU history to surpass the 1,000-point milestone and earned All-MAC Third Team honors in both her junior and senior seasons. After college, Sanders played professionally in Poland for one year before returning to Michigan to coach at Alma College for three seasons.
Sanders holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Administration with a minor in Athletic Coaching, as well as a master’s degree in Sports Administration, both from Central Michigan University.
