Linda Miles Linda M . Miles ( August 28 , 1978 ) is an American former professional wrestler and manager . She worked under the ring name Shaniqua for World Wrestling Entertainment ' s SmackDown ! brand between 2002 and 2004 . Miles was one of two female winners from " WWE Tough Enough " season two . Basketball . Miles was a member of the Rutgers University women ' s basketball team . She graduated from Rutgers in 2001 . In May 2001 , she tried out for a roster spot with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA , but was released during the team ' s training camp . Miles and her Rutgers teammates were featured in a 2004 documentary film of the team ' s 2000 – 2001 season entitled " This Is A Game , Ladies " . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2002 – 2004 ) . In 2002 , Miles entered and won the second series of " WWE Tough Enough " . She and co - winner Jackie Gayda were awarded developmental contracts with the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment . Miles appeared on the June 8 , 2002 episode of " WWE Velocity " and faced her trainer , Ivory , with Gayda in her corner . Miles lost to Ivory after Gayda became a heel by pushing her off the top turnbuckle , costing her the match . On the June 13 episode of " SmackDown ! " , Miles teamed with WWE Women ' s Champion Trish Stratus to defeat Gayda and Ivory . The two Divas were then placed on the Raw brand . On the June 24 edition of " Raw " , Miles teamed with Trish Stratus to defeat Gayda and Molly Holly . Due to Gayda ' s highly botched mixed tag match on the July 8 edition of " Raw " , Miles and Gayda were sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling for further training and development . Miles began a relationship with Shelton Benjamin and began to manage him . It did not last long , however , as Benjamin formed Team Angle with Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas . Miles then disappeared from WWE television . Miles returned to WWE television in June 2003 as Shaniqua , the villainous dominatrix manager of the Basham Brothers . She often interfered in matches , including a match where she surprisingly had to interfere to insure the Bashams ' victory over two jobbers . In the late summer of 2003 , Shaniqua began to establish her dominance over the other SmackDown Divas . Shaniqua interfered in several bikini contests , attacking all of the Divas except for Sable . She briefly feuded with fellow SmackDown Divas Torrie Wilson , Dawn Marie ( even though she remained a heel ) , and Nidia . Shaniqua defeated Wilson and Nidia in a handicap match on the September 18 , 2003 episode of SmackDown . The following week , Dawn Marie challenged Shaniqua to a singles match in which Shaniqua won by disqualification after interferences from Wilson and Nidia . In early 2004 , Shaniqua and The Basham Brothers sparked a feud with the then WWE Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty and Rikishi . Shaniqua joined her team in a handicap WWE Tag Team championship match against Rikishi and Scotty Too Hotty at No Way Out . Shaniqua ' s team lost when she was pinned following a Banzai Drop from Rikishi . After that she was released from her WWE contract . Post - wrestling . Linda now resides in Cincinnati and is a substitute teacher for Cincinnati public schools . She also was a study hall teacher in 2007 at Colerain High School .