Storm formally tab Sonia Raman as head coach

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 reviews, and would be the first individual of Indian origin to be a head coach within the WNBA.

Raman was beforehand the primary Indian-American lady to be an NBA assistant coach, holding that function with the Memphis Grizzlies (2020-24) earlier than becoming a member of the Liberty’s workers final season.

“Sonia is a trailblazer, an innovator and a frontrunner in basketball analytics and technique,” Storm common supervisor Talisa Rhea mentioned. “Her numerous teaching experiences and deep give attention to participant improvement and connection make her an distinctive coach to steer our crew into the subsequent period. We stay up for 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 report 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 your complete group for his or her belief and perception in me. I stay up for constructing on the proud legacy of this franchise and competing on the highest degree for our followers.”

Raman informed ESPN the Storm job was engaging for a lot of causes.

“The checklist goes on and on, I feel, when it comes to 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 nicely. My spouse is from the world, so it is form of a homecoming for us as nicely.”

Raman will probably be heading a crew whose greatest stars will probably be unrestricted free brokers, simply as a brand new collective bargaining settlement is ready to extend WNBA participant salaries. Storm All-Stars Brittney Sykes, Gabby Williams, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins will probably be unrestricted free brokers.

All-Rookie middle Dominique Malonga is below contract. Nonetheless, Malonga 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.

–Subject Degree Media