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TRACY York is the new coach of Adelaide's WNBL team in the second piece of great news for the iconic Lightning sporting club.

The first was its salvation last week when the Motor Accident Commission stepped up to help save the 23-year-old club by becoming its naming rights sponsor, ensuring it would continue into 2015-16.

More importantly, that decision also bought time for the club and its support crew to fashion a viable and sustainable long-term plan, most likely in conjunction with University of SA.

Appointing York, 51, gives Adelaide one of its best-credentialed "rookie" coaches, the no-nonsense police sergeant having served a quality apprenticeship, as well as forging the way for women in SA basketball.

The trail-blazing coach in 2001 was appointed to coach Woodville's men's team in what is now South Australia's Premier League, the first woman in such a capacity.

She held the role until March, 2005 when she and her husband moved to Singapore and she coached the national men's team, among a raft of other achievements in the sport there.

A state junior coach at 11 national championships (under-16-18-20), her SA teams medalled nine times and she won three Australian titles.

She coached North Adelaide's men in the Premier League from 2008-11 and currently is running Southern Tigers' women's team.

Having worked extensively for Basketball Australia, Basketball SA, its forerunner, and for SASI developing young players, she is the ideal choice given the Lightning will start from a long way back next season and need to bring some new faces along quickly.

Not that York lacks any national experience, having been Adelaide Lightning's assistant coach from 2011-14. Before that she was an assistant in Marty Clarke's Adelaide 36ers'NBL program, before assisting Joey Wright at the Sixers.

"Tracy has the uncanny ability to get athletes of all talents to listen and buy into her vision," Wright said.

"I would often give Tracy the task of dealing with the individuals that were hard to convince and she would get them onside.

"She still maintains a passion to get better which is a trait every great coach possesses."

York becomes Adelaide's eighth WNBL coach, following in the footsteps of Jan Stirling, Chris Lucas, Vicki Valk, Steve Breheny, Peter Buckle, Rich Dickel and Jeremi Moule.