Women's Basketball
Ross, Toccara
Toccara Ross
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- E-Mail Address:
- ross5t@cmich.edu
- Phone:
- (989) 774-3041
- Year at CMU:
- 2nd
- Hometown:
- Chicago, Ill.
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Iowa State '09, UW-Milwaukee M'20
- Experience:
- 3rd year
Toccara Ross will enter her second season on the bench for Central Michigan Women’s Basketball in 2024-25. The Chippewas tallied a 6-22 record, 4-14 in the MAC, in her first season—the inaugural season of Head Coach Kristin Haynie’s tenure.
Ross was named to the CMU women’s staff in June of 2023 and came to Mount Pleasant following a one-year stint at Boston University.
Ross helped coach the Terriers to a regular season Patriot League championship in 2023 as Boston recorded a 24-9 record, including a 17-1 mark in conference play, falling to Holy Cross in the conference title game. BU was added to the 2023 Women’s National Invitation Tournament field, falling to Rhode Island in the bracket’s first round. Two Terriers earned first-team All-Patriot League honors, including 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Caitlin Weimar.
A three-time NCAA Tournament participant at Iowa State (2007-09) with 15 years of professional basketball experience, Ross spent the 2022 campaign with Athletes Unlimited, which had completed its first season at the time. Ross played alongside WNBA athletes, and suited up for captains such as DiJonai Carrington, Isabelle Harrison, Tianna Hawkins, and Lexie Brown.
In total, Ross has played professional basketball in over 20 countries. Competing in Switzerland for the EuroCup circuit, she captured a Swiss League championship. She was previously named the BSNF’s Player of the Year, the top women’s professional league in Puerto Rico, and was third in the league in scoring with 20.6 points per game in 2011.
Ross started her collegiate career at Kirkwood Community College, where she led the Eagles to a fourth-place national finish as a freshman and an appearance in the NJCAA Division II title game as a sophomore. She was named to the 2006 NJCAA DII Women’s National All-Tournament Team that season.
She later transferred to the Cyclones ahead of the 2006-07 campaign. Her strongest season came in 2006-07, when she registered 10.7 points and a team-best 7.3 boards per game, securing the ISU Rebounding Award. She was a member of Iowa State’s Elite 8 squad in 2009.
In addition to her strengths on the court, Ross has served as an advocate for the athlete experience and community development. Since 2009, she has served as an advocate and speaking for Athlete Ally, helping to provide public awareness campaigns and educational programming to foster inclusive sports communities while intersecting all aspects of human rights. While with Athletes Unlimited, she played for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
A native of Chicago, Ill. and recently living in Los Angeles, Calif., Ross earned her bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State in Communication Studies, Speech Communication, and Women & Gender Studies. In 2020, she received her Master of Sciences in Cultural Foundations of Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Career Timeline
Central Michigan; Assistant Coach, June 2023-
Boston University; Assistant Coach, 2022-June 2023
Ross was named to the CMU women’s staff in June of 2023 and came to Mount Pleasant following a one-year stint at Boston University.
Ross helped coach the Terriers to a regular season Patriot League championship in 2023 as Boston recorded a 24-9 record, including a 17-1 mark in conference play, falling to Holy Cross in the conference title game. BU was added to the 2023 Women’s National Invitation Tournament field, falling to Rhode Island in the bracket’s first round. Two Terriers earned first-team All-Patriot League honors, including 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Caitlin Weimar.
A three-time NCAA Tournament participant at Iowa State (2007-09) with 15 years of professional basketball experience, Ross spent the 2022 campaign with Athletes Unlimited, which had completed its first season at the time. Ross played alongside WNBA athletes, and suited up for captains such as DiJonai Carrington, Isabelle Harrison, Tianna Hawkins, and Lexie Brown.
In total, Ross has played professional basketball in over 20 countries. Competing in Switzerland for the EuroCup circuit, she captured a Swiss League championship. She was previously named the BSNF’s Player of the Year, the top women’s professional league in Puerto Rico, and was third in the league in scoring with 20.6 points per game in 2011.
Ross started her collegiate career at Kirkwood Community College, where she led the Eagles to a fourth-place national finish as a freshman and an appearance in the NJCAA Division II title game as a sophomore. She was named to the 2006 NJCAA DII Women’s National All-Tournament Team that season.
She later transferred to the Cyclones ahead of the 2006-07 campaign. Her strongest season came in 2006-07, when she registered 10.7 points and a team-best 7.3 boards per game, securing the ISU Rebounding Award. She was a member of Iowa State’s Elite 8 squad in 2009.
In addition to her strengths on the court, Ross has served as an advocate for the athlete experience and community development. Since 2009, she has served as an advocate and speaking for Athlete Ally, helping to provide public awareness campaigns and educational programming to foster inclusive sports communities while intersecting all aspects of human rights. While with Athletes Unlimited, she played for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
A native of Chicago, Ill. and recently living in Los Angeles, Calif., Ross earned her bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State in Communication Studies, Speech Communication, and Women & Gender Studies. In 2020, she received her Master of Sciences in Cultural Foundations of Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Career Timeline
Central Michigan; Assistant Coach, June 2023-
Boston University; Assistant Coach, 2022-June 2023
WBB Annual Golf Outing
Friday, September 12
WBB Practice
Friday, July 04
MAC WBB Tournament Press Conference
Wednesday, March 12
Video Podcast: Amy Folan Connection-Women's Basketball March Madness and the Growth of the Game
Wednesday, March 12
