Sonia Raman’s life changed unexpectedly earlier this year with a single phone call. Talisa Rhea, general manager of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, informed her she was being offered the team’s head coaching position. “I hadn’t been tipped off or prepped that this was going to be the conversation,” Raman remembers. “It wasn’t coming from an agent.” The call triggered a surge of excitement; everything felt perfectly aligned for what felt like a destiny too good to be true.
This news was monumental not just for Raman, but for basketball itself. She becomes the first head coach of Indian descent in the WNBA – a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly.
“I grew up playing and watching basketball, and I never really saw anyone that looked like me,” Raman shares with Women’s Health. “I’m used to being in these spaces as the only one. And through my time in the NBA and the WNBA, I’ve had so many South Asian parents come up to me and talk to me about their kids, their daughters, and their sons who get so excited seeing me out there coaching and seeing me on the bench.” That’s when she truly understood the weight of her presence. “That’s when I really started to understand the responsibility and to take that seriously and show up for the community and do my best every day at my job.”
Raman’s path to Seattle is paved with diverse experiences. Before joining the Storm, she served as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty. Earlier, she honed her skills as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, then led the Wellesley College women’s basketball team (Division III) and before that, practiced law at Fidelity Investments. It was a colleague from Wellesley who recognized Raman’s passion and pushed her to make coaching her full-time focus. At the time, she juggled her legal job with late nights coaching at Wellesley—clearly, it was a demanding but ultimately rewarding career shift.
Now, history is made as Raman takes on this new challenge.
Зміст
Navigating Different Worlds: NBA vs. WNBA and Division III to The Pros
Raman’s unique basketball journey has spanned from the high-pressure environment of the NBA to the collegiate level and now back into the professional league. “Honestly, it’s not that different,” she explains when comparing coaching in these leagues. “The approach is going to be different based on the player, where the organization is, and your overall goals for the season.” Regardless of the league, you’re still dealing with elite talent. It comes down to maximizing each player’s individual potential while fostering a cohesive unit that thrives together.
“What was definitely different was moving from Division III women’s basketball directly to the NBA,” Raman reflects. “The spacing on the court is different, the style of play is different. And in college, I was coaching student athletes, so I had them for a very limited amount of time. Time is of the essence; you have to be really efficient.” She acknowledges that even though professional players are expected to focus solely on basketball, she still values efficiency in practice sessions. “At Wellesley, I was part of their journey through education and university life—classes were a huge part of it as well.”
Embracing Joy, Learning, and Adaptability: Raman’s Coaching Philosophy
A key element of Raman’s coaching style is fostering joy within the team dynamic. “I love basketball. It’s so fun. I love coaching it. It’s a great game,” she shares. “We can lose sight of that in the nitty-gritty and adversity of a season.” Her aim is to bring this passion for the game into every practice and meeting, emphasizing continuous improvement as a foundation.
“The biggest thing is getting them to compete and get better every day and do it together,” she says. This relentless pursuit of growth doesn’t just involve drills; it’s about creating an environment where players feel comfortable experimenting and making smart decisions on the fly.
“Whatever you want to be able to do on the court, you need to practice it,” Raman emphasizes. “If you want to be a team that’s really good at holding each other accountable, you have to practice that.” This extends beyond structured drills; she encourages real-game scenarios in smaller group settings and even individual workouts.
She stresses the importance of creating a space where failure is embraced as a learning opportunity. “It’s okay to come up short,” Raman explains. “You go back to it, you get better.” She models this vulnerability herself by acknowledging when something isn’t working and adjusting her approach accordingly.
Confidence Through Preparation and Adaptability
Raman firmly believes that confidence stems from thorough preparation. Not just for anticipated game scenarios but also for those unexpected moments that demand quick thinking. “We’re going to prepare them really well,” she says, “and that’s not going to just be for what we expect to happen in the game, but we’re going to be prepared with our adjustments as well.” This preparation translates into in-depth practice sessions that simulate various situations.
“We also have to know—especially when we get to later in the season and postseason and playoffs—that sometimes we may have to try something that they haven’t tried before,” she explains. “That’s where being able to be resilient and be adaptable, and what we’re training and nurturing throughout the season, comes into play, because they’re not going to be afraid to try something that we may not have done in a game already.”
A New Chapter in the Pacific Northwest
The Seattle Storm is entering an exciting new chapter under Raman’s leadership. While details about her specific plans for the team remain to be seen, her dedication to fostering a positive and growth-oriented environment paired with her commitment to thorough preparation points towards a promising future. Her unique journey and experiences across various levels of basketball uniquely equip her to lead this WNBA powerhouse.
