A former standout guard at NC State and Cal State Fullerton, Raina Perez will serve her first year as an assistant coach for the Portland State women's basketball team during the 2025-26 season.
Perez was a Top 10 Finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation’s best point guard, as well as an All-ACC honorable mention at NC State. She helped lead the Wolfpack to back-to-back ACC Tournament titles, as well as appearances in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Perez played her freshman season at Northern Arizona when Burris was an assistant coach for the Lumberjacks in 2016-17. She followed Burris to Cal State Fullerton, where she played for two years before transferring to NC State. At Cal State Fullerton, Perez was named the Big West Player of the Year following the 2019-20 season when she averaged 19.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. She was the first Cal State Fullerton player to be named Big West Player of the Year since 1991.
“We’re thrilled to add Raina Perez to our coaching staff here at Portland State. As a former Big West Player of the Year at Cal State Fullerton and a key contributor to NC State’s deep NCAA Tournament runs, including Sweet 16 and Elite Eight appearances, Raina brings elite playing experience and a championship mindset to our program,” Burris said of Perez.
“Her journey as a player speaks for itself, but it’s her passion for player development and her work ethic that truly set her apart. Raina is a rising star in this profession, and we’re excited for the impact she’ll have on our student-athletes.”
Perez has already been part of two successful seasons at two different schools in her nascent coaching career. Perez spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach with UC Riverside, helping lead the Highlanders to a WNIT appearance. She then joined Rice University as an assistant coach for the 2024-25 season, helping lead the Owls to the title game at the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
"I could not be more grateful to join Karlie's staff. Being coached by her to now coaching with her is such a full circle moment. I've had the privilege of seeing her success every step of her journey, and I'm excited to see it carry over to Portland State,” Perez said of joining Burris’ coaching staff.
As a player, Perez signed a training camp contract with the WNBA's Seattle Storm in 2022 after her collegiate career concluded. She played internationally as a professional from 2022-23 before starting her coaching career. She finished her collegiate career with over 1,800 points scored.
