Hired in September of 2008, Alexa Shields enters her third season as the assistant women’s basketball coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Shields came to the Academy after being the graduate intern coach at Rutgers-Newark.

While Shields was at Rutgers-Newark some of her responsibilities included recruiting, administrative duties and camp coordinator. She also organized the teams Tip-Off Tournament and served as a Team Academic Advisor.

A three-time All-New Jersey Athletic Conference guard at The College of New Jersey, Shields helped TCNJ to NJAC championships in 2004 and 2006, finishing tied for third in career assists (309) and fifth in steals (196) in school history. She served as team captain as a junior and senior. A four-year letterwinner, she earned first-team All-NJAC honors in 2005 while garnering second unit notice as a sophomore and senior.

She earned her bachelor of science in communications from TCNJ in 2006 after four years on the Dean’s List. Two years later, Shield earned a masters degree in Liberal Studies from Rutger-Newark.

Shields and her family moved from Huntington, Indiana, to Wall Township, New Jersey, for her junior and senior years in high school. She captained Wall High School as a junior and senior where she also lettered twice in tennis.

She is a native of Oakhurst, NJ and currently resides in Long Beach, N.Y.