Karleen M. Thompson[2] (née Shields; born July 1, 1968) is the associate head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team since 2018.
Before joining the Cavaliers, Thompson was a WNBA head coach for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2004 and the Houston Comets from 2007 to 2008.
[3][4] After completing her social sciences degree at the University of Southern California in 1996, Thompson joined Gatorade as a sports marketer.
[5] The following year, Thompson started her Women's National Basketball Association career when she became a manager for the Los Angeles Sparks in 1997.
In 2018, she continued to work as an associate head coach when she was hired by the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team.