Griffith, who played professionally for 16 years, competed in the Euroleague, the American Basketball League, the Women's Chinese Basketball League and the Women's Korean Basketball League, according to a College press release. She played for the United States team at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, earning a gold medal both times.
"She's had an outstanding career," women's basketball head coach Chris Wielgus said. "She's had a great basketball life experience, and she's a very good teacher."
Griffith began her professional career playing for the DJK Wildcats, a Euroleague team in Germany. She was later drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs, where she averaged 18.8 points per game in her first season. She won the league's Most Valuable Player award, the Newcomer of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. Griffith was league MVP for the 2005 season, having led the Monarchs to victory in the WNBA finals.
While playing for the WNBA, Griffith also played for Lavezzini Basket Parma in Italy from 2000-2002, winning the Italian League Championship in 2002. She then played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia from 2003-2006, contributing to that team's 2003 league championship victory.
In 2007, she played for the KB Savers, a Korean team, and was named an all-star for the league. In 2008, she joined the Henan Elephants China, where she was also named an all-star.
After retiring from professional basketball, she was hired by the Indiana Fever in 2009 as an adjunct assistant coach. She also founded All About Us Girls, Inc., an organization that works with school districts to establish leadership programs for middle school and high school girls. She has recently been working as a head trainer for Training With Yo, a basketball program that she owns.
As assistant coach for the Big Green, Griffith will be involved in all aspects of the program, including day-to-day team operations, recruiting and team and individual workouts. Griffith will be a "great complement to the staff," Wielgus said.
Team captain Faziah Steen '13 said that Griffith's selection as assistant coach came as a "pleasant surprise."
"She's always been a hard worker her entire life," she said. "I think you can see that kind of mentality on the basketball court."
Griffith will start her position at Dartmouth this week, according to Wielgus, who said she hoped Griffith's long experience on the court would lead the women's basketball team to an improved record next year.
"She knows how to win," Wielgus said. "She knows how to play, and she knows how to get her point across. She's a very good teacher of the fundamentals of the game."
Steen agreed, adding that Griffith would set a good example for the team members as they begin the upcoming season.
"Her career was so lengthy," Steen said. "I'm definitely hoping she can bring a sense of hard work to our team."
The Big Green women's basketball team went 7-21 last season with a 3-11 record in the Ivy League.
