lavonda wagner was born in 1964 in bristol, virginia. she attended mars hill college in north carolina, where she earned a bachelor's degree in physical education. she was also a star for the women's basketball and volleyball teams, and earned all-america honors in both sports from the national association of intercollegiate athletics (naia). in 1998, she was inducted into the college's sports hall of fame. in 1988, wagner earned a master's degree in athletic administration from east tennessee state university (etsu). from 1988 to 1994 she was the top assistant coach and recruiter for etsu in women's basketball. from 1994 to 2002 she was an assistant coach for the university of illinois women's basketball team; in 2000 she helped garner one of the top five recruiting classes in the nation for illinois. from 2002 to 2005 wagner was an assistant coach at duke university, which featured one of the top-rated women's basketball programs in the nation.