Sonia Raman has been a basketball trailblazer during her career, and now as the newly named head coach of the Seattle Storm, Raman has done it again by becoming the first head coach of Indian descent in WNBA history.
Raman arrives in Seattle after serving as an assistant coach with the New York Liberty last season. Prior to moving to the WNBA, she spent four seasons in player development, scouting and analytics as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Sonia is a trailblazer, an innovator and a leader in basketball analytics and strategy,” said Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea. “Her diverse coaching experiences and deep focus on player development and connection make her an exceptional coach to lead our team into the next era. We look forward to her leadership as we pursue another WNBA championship.”
Raman has basketball in her blood.
A native of Framingham, MA, she played for the Tufts University Jumbos for four years and then went on to earn her JD from Boston College in 2001.
She got into coaching, building the MIT women’s basketball program into a nationally recognized program during her 10+ years in Boston. Raman won multiple coach of the year awards while leading MIT and once she moved to the NBA, she became the first Indian American woman to be an NBA assistant.
Now the basketball trailblazer will be leading the 4x WNBA championship franchise.
“Seattle holds a special place in my heart, and my family and I are thrilled to return to this incredible city,” said Raman. “I’m deeply grateful to Storm ownership, Alisha Valavanis, Talisa Rhea and the entire organization for their trust and belief in me. I look forward to building on the proud legacy of this franchise and competing at the highest level for our fans.”
