Why Grizzlies' Taylor Jenkins is 'fired up' for former assistant's Liberty opportunity
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The reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty have added to their coaching staff, bringing in former Memphis Grizzlies assistant Sonia Raman.
Raman will join Zach O'Brien and Olaf Lange on Sandy Brondello's staff, replacing Roneeka Hodges, who is now with the Connecticut Sun.
The Grizzlies hired Raman in 2020 and her duties as an assistant included in scouting, film and player development.
Her former boss, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, lauded Raman's coaching chops, drawing from her days on staff in Memphis and before that as head women's basketball coach at MIT.
"I know she's going to bring so much to the Liberty," he said. "Her passion for player development, X’s and O’s, analytics, the way she studied the game back in her college days, at MIT and just having so much success there, bringing success with us in the last couple of years with the Grizzlies. I’m fired up for her."
Before her time in the NBA, Raman spent 12 seasons as head coach of the Engineers where she became the program's all-time winningest coach. She also led MIT to its first two Division III NCAA Tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019.
Sandy Brondello's 'good to great' offense will get a boost with Sonia Raman joining the Liberty
Led by the big three of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, the 2024 Liberty were already one of the best offensive teams in the WNBA, scoring an average of 85.6 points per game. When the Liberty struggled on offense, shot selection was often the culprit with the staff stressing ball movement and Brondello's "good to great" philosophy.
The first Indian American woman to ever coach in the NBA, Raman worked one-on-one with Memphis players on that very principle. Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama lauded Raman's teaching ability in a March 2024 story for the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“For her, it’s seeing the little stuff,” he told the outlet. “I remember last year she was big on the better passes for better percentage shots. It was just a matter of finding how we could make better percentage passes that lead to better percentage shots.”
Raman's mind on offense is part of what impressed Brondello.
"Specializing in the offensive side of the ball, she brings a wealth of experience to our staff and aligns with our core principles of play as we continue to evolve," she said in a release.
The Liberty will open the 2025 regular season on Saturday, May 17 against the Las Vegas Aces in a matchup of the last two WNBA champions.
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