Sonia Raman is making historical past and switching coasts, leaving her assistant teaching function with the New York Liberty to turn out to be the brand new head coach of the Seattle Storm.
Raman, 51, agreed to a multi-year deal Wednesday with the Storm, in keeping with a number of studies, and would be the first individual of Indian origin to be a head coach within the WNBA.
Raman was beforehand the primary Indian-American girl to be an NBA assistant coach, holding that function with the Memphis Grizzlies (2020-24) earlier than becoming a member of the Liberty’s employees final season.
“Sonia is a trailblazer, an innovator and a frontrunner in basketball analytics and technique,” Storm common supervisor Talisa Rhea mentioned. “Her various teaching experiences and deep concentrate on participant growth and connection make her an distinctive coach to steer our crew into the subsequent period. We look ahead to her management as we pursue one other WNBA championship.”
Raman replaces Noelle Quinn, who was fired after the Storm misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs to the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces. Quinn posted a 97-89 document with 4 playoff appearances in 5 seasons with Seattle.
A local of Framingham, Mass., Raman led the MIT girls’s basketball program from 2008-20, turning into the crew’s all-time winningest coach with 152 wins.
Raman’s spouse, Milena Flores, is a former Stanford and WNBA participant initially from the Seattle space.
“Seattle holds a particular place in my coronary heart, and my household and I are thrilled to return to this unimaginable metropolis,” mentioned Raman. “I am deeply grateful to Storm possession, Alisha Valavanis, Talisa Rhea and the whole group for his or her belief and perception in me. I look ahead to constructing on the proud legacy of this franchise and competing on the highest degree for our followers.”
Raman instructed ESPN the Storm job was engaging for a lot of causes.
“The checklist goes on and on, I believe, by way of the group,” Raman mentioned. “After which Seattle itself as a metropolis. It is a premier girls’s basketball metropolis. Actually wealthy custom, deep help from the fan base. And I even have actually private ties as effectively. My spouse is from the realm, so it is type of a homecoming for us as effectively.”
Raman will likely be heading a crew whose greatest stars will likely be unrestricted free brokers, simply as a brand new collective bargaining settlement is about to extend WNBA participant salaries. Storm All-Stars Brittney Sykes, Gabby Williams, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins will likely be unrestricted free brokers.
All-Rookie heart Dominique Malonga is beneath contract. Nevertheless, Malonga just lately terminated her three-year contract with Turkish membership Fenerbahce Opet, which is pursuing authorized motion that might stop the 19-year-old from receiving a required “letter of clearance” from FIBA to return to the WNBA.
–Discipline Stage Media
