Jade Leitao enters her first season as Director of Basketball Operations for the UNCG women's basketball program. She joins the Spartans after spending one season at Northwood University as an assistant coach. 

“I am extremely excited for Jade to join our women’s basketball program,” Palmer said. “Her core values are in line with my vision for this program and are essential to our success. She will bring a number of different values which will strengthen our coaching staff and team.”

Leitao owns plenty of basketball experience, including playing professionally for Coimbra Olivais in Portugal from 2006-07.  She averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in helping lead her team to the playoffs and earning a spot on the league’s all-star team.

Leitao was a member of the Cape Verdean national women’s basketball team, participating in the FIBA African Games in 2005 and 2007, as well as the Lusofonia Games (Portuguese Olympics) in 2006 and 2009. This past summer, she spent four weeks in Cape Verde, putting together and running a four-day girls’ basketball clinic.

“I am thrilled about joining the UNCG women’s basketball program,” Leitao said. “Head Coach Wendy Palmer has an extensive and successful basketball background and exudes her passion for the game. I am eager to be a part of this program, to work with the staff we have, to make an impact in the lives of these student-athletes and to be a Spartan."

Leitao spent two years as a graduate assistant at UAB from 2009-11 as the Blazers captured the 2011 WBI championship and posted 20 wins during the 2010-11 campaign.

She played at three different schools during her collegiate career, including the University of Delaware, Mitchell College and Fordham University. Leitao spent the 2001-02 season at Delaware before transferring to Mitchell prior to the 2002-03 campaign. While at Mitchell, she earned first-team All-Region and NJCAA All-Tournament honors after averaging 22.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Leitao finished fourth in the nation in scoring among Division II Junior Colleges, helping Mitchell to a No. 2 ranking in the nation in 2003.

After moving to Fordham to finish her college career, Leitao appeared in 31 contests her senior season - including receiving the starting nod in 30 of those games. She ranked fourth on the team in scoring (8.9 ppg), as well as assists (57) and steals (30).  

Leitao received her associate’s degree in liberal arts from Mitchell College in 2003 and earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Fordham in May of 2006.