SEATTLE -- When Seattle Storm general manager Talisa Rhea introduced Sonia Raman as the team's new coach at a news conference Wednesday, a week after Raman was officially hired, she made a point of describing the first-time WNBA head coach as "a trailblazer."
"It was clear from the first conversation we had with Sonia that there was real alignment and the potential for a wonderful partnership," Rhea said in her opening statement. "Sonia is a trailblazer, and learning about her road and her career path to getting here to Seattle was really moving. Furthermore, her vision for us and where we could go was very exciting."
Raman makes WNBA history as the first person of Indian descent to be a head coach after being the first Indian American woman to be an NBA assistant during her four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. Raman also was in rare company as a female full-time assistant coach in the NBA, having joined the Grizzlies after spending 12 seasons as the women's basketball head coach at Division III program MIT.
Breaking ground is something Raman doesn't take lightly.
"It's a tremendous honor and a privilege to be sitting here and to be in that role," Raman said. "It's a huge responsibility as well. I've said this before: I am the first, but I don't want to be the last. ... I'm doing my best so I can create these opportunities, open these doors or just allow this next generation to see what's possible."
Rhea said the Storm conducted an "extensive" interview process with a diverse candidate pool to replace Noelle Quinn, whose contract was not renewed after five years at the helm and a 97-89 record.
Conducting her first full coaching search, as Quinn was promoted from assistant coach when Dan Hughes retired midseason, Rhea was excited about the interest she found in coaching in the WNBA generally and the Seattle job specifically. Of that pool, Raman stood out.
"On the court, Sonia's a leader in analytics and player development, two critical areas as our game continues to grow and evolve," Rhea said. "She's innovative, forward-thinking and committed to the development of players both individually and collectively as a group."
Analytics and player development were areas of focus for Raman during her tenure in Memphis. After making the jump to coaching professionally for the first time with the Grizzlies, Raman spent last season as an assistant with the New York Liberty. She thanked the executives who hired her with both organizations, as well as head coaches Taylor Jenkins and Sandy Brondello, for their roles in her journey.
The ability for Raman to build relationships with players was also important to Rhea.
"There was just immediate alignment on how she approaches, first and foremost relationships, which is where we always start," Rhea said. "That being the foundation of how we can move forward and how we can connect with players and really get the best out of them, individually and collectively as a team, as we try to build and move forward, that stood out.
"And then her background and experiences, I think, just bring a different perspective that we haven't had here."
While making her own history, Raman also is following in the footsteps of reigning Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase, who became the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history last October with the Golden State Valkyries.
Like Raman, Nakase served as an NBA assistant coach before joining the WNBA coaching ranks. She spent three years with Becky Hammon as an assistant for the Las Vegas Aces before leading the Valkyries to a playoff spot in their inaugural season, the first WNBA expansion team to accomplish the feat.