No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show
Episode: Sonia Raman Gets Candid on Coaching Dominique Malonga, WNBA Transition & More
Date: December 12, 2025
Host(s): Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, Sabrina Merchant, Ben Pickman
Guest: Sonia Raman (Seattle Storm Head Coach)
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the fast-changing landscape of women’s basketball, celebrating Asia Wilson’s Time Athlete of the Year win, assessing new coaching hires, and featuring an in-depth interview with Sonia Raman, newly appointed head coach of the Seattle Storm. The conversation covers Sonia’s unique path from law and compliance to basketball, the challenges of coaching dominant talent like Dominique Malonga, the pipeline for diverse coaches in the WNBA, and her excitement for the evolving league.
Key Segment Summary
1. Celebrating Asia Wilson’s “Athlete of the Year” Honor
[02:41 – 14:14]
- Accomplishments: Asia Wilson named 2025 Time Athlete of the Year.
- Cultural Context: Her recognition represents a shift from college-centric coverage of women’s basketball to elevated WNBA status.
- Impact: Wilson’s achievements—scoring title, DPOY, MVP, Finals MVP, another WNBA championship—solidify her as an icon on and off the court.
- Representation: Wilson’s resonance transcends basketball, with her Nike campaign, the book "Dear Black Girls", and Met Gala hosting role.
- Notable Quote:
"She's just so very clearly the best player alive...and to add this [Time's award] to the list, you know, it's just cool to see that there is a recognition of what she's been able to do."
— Sabrina Merchant [06:55] - On League Growth: Even with star injuries and absence of Caitlin Clark, WNBA viewership and status continued to climb.
- Handling Division: Discussion references direct acknowledgment in Time's piece of divisiveness, particularly around race and star narratives.
2. Coaching Carousel: Chris DeMarco, New York Liberty
[14:14 – 24:49]
- Intro: Discussion on Liberty’s hiring of former Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco.
- Expectations: Liberty has become a “destination” franchise, focused on winning now, and building a dynasty.
- DeMarco’s Profile:
- Extensive experience with the Warriors through eras under Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr.
- Player development and adaptability highlighted.
- Comparison of Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu to Steph Curry, but focus is work ethic and focus rather than direct on-court mimicry.
- Concerns: No prior head coaching experience, and jump from NBA to WNBA is significant; will he adapt to more intense media scrutiny in New York?
- Unique Culture: Liberty have history of innovation and breaking ground in WNBA player movement and investment.
- Notable Quote:
"There isn't a lot of runway here...there's a lot of high expectations."
— Sabrina Merchant [21:22] - Fun Moment: Ben jokes about lack of Liberty-themed books and the challenge of finding resources for new fans.
3. Feature Interview: Sonia Raman – Seattle Storm’s New Head Coach
[27:18 – 50:55]
Sonia’s Unconventional Journey
[27:18 – 30:22]
- Background: Pre-med, law degree, corporate compliance, then transition to coaching MIT basketball for over a decade.
- First Love: Inspired by watching Larry Bird and the Celtics in her youth.
- Walk-on Story: Joined Tufts basketball by proactively approaching the coach—never missed a workout after that.
- Quote:
"I was never ready to give up basketball...I just walked into the coach's office...gave me a big packet of preseason things to do...never missed a workout after that."
— Sonia Raman [30:33]
Path to the NBA
[32:10 – 34:05]
- MIT to Memphis Grizzlies: Grizzlies VP Rich Cho recognized Raman’s unique combo of basketball knowledge and analytical acumen.
- Outside-the-Box Hiring: Cold call from Grizzlies led to relationship, campus tour, and ultimately a groundbreaking NBA assistant role.
- NBA Experience:
- “Welcome to the NBA” moment: Seeing Ja Morant’s athleticism firsthand.
- Leroy Bird-style confidence stories come full circle—now about NBA athletes.
- Warm camaraderie among pioneering women in the NBA, e.g., Becky Hammon.
Transition to the WNBA: New York to Seattle
[37:56 – 41:34]
- One Year with Liberty: Values in-depth learning on the league’s rhythms, players’ tendencies, coaching styles, and game cadence.
- League Growth: Struck by the “electric” energy and passion of WNBA crowds—at times louder than NBA playoff games.
- Learning from Sandy Brondello: Emphasizes Brondello’s player management, listening, and empathetic leadership.
Taking the Helm in Seattle
[41:34 – 43:23]
- Why Now, Why Seattle: Despite unprecedented CBA uncertainty and free agency upheaval, Raman couldn’t pass up the Storm’s “perfect fit”.
- Outlook: Confident in Storm’s championship pedigree and the positive challenges of the unknown.
Coaching Dominique Malonga & Team Philosophy
[42:21 – 43:36]
- On Malonga:
"As unique of a player as she is...I want to be able to help her unlock all of that and be...that generational talent...not putting a limit to her or a position on her, but really trying to open up her game and continue to develop where she’s going."
— Sonia Raman [42:38] - Team-Building Approach: Looking to create a team that “competes, wins, plays hard, high IQ, spaces the floor, and gets after it on defense.”
The Coaching Pipeline & Representation
[44:39 – 47:58]
- On women coaches with NBA experience moving to the WNBA, and shrinking numbers of women on NBA benches:
"If we don’t grow those roles and be intentional about the pipeline, then you’re going to see less and less women on benches as assistant coaches...It just takes teams doing it and hiring."
— Sonia Raman [46:35] - Discussion on the lack of Black female coaches in the WNBA, calling for continued intentionality and cross-league collaboration to expand the pipeline.
Personal Notes & Looking Forward
[47:58 – 50:35]
- Seattle Food Scene: Raman, a self-proclaimed foodie, is excited to explore deeper culinary options now that she’s based in Seattle; shout-outs to local restaurants Communion, Musang, and Spicewall.
- Anticipation for Season:
- Excited about the upgraded practice facility, time with staff and players, and League expansion.
- For fans: “There’s never been a better time to be watching the W...talent at every position is just incredible.”
4. Fun Segment: Who Should Unretire for a Playoff Run?
[53:26 – 58:45]
- Prompted by NFL QB Philip Rivers' "unretirement," hosts muse about WNBA players they'd bring back.
- Sabrina: "Elena Beard coming back to help the Sparks, who had a historically awful defense this last season...Even from a veteran perspective...that would be a nice addition."
- Ben: "Sylvia Fowles coming back to the Minnesota Lynx...when Fee goes down at the end of the postseason...Can you give us something? That's the kind of equivalent I was really thinking of."
- Chantel: "Ali Quigley, come on back (to Chicago Sky)...Put the banner down for a second...Literally your opportunity, Ali Quigley, just letting you know."
- Zena: "Absolutely not," when asked about a comeback herself.
Notable Quotes
On Asia Wilson’s Impact
"It's not even what I see when I look at Asia Wilson. It's what Zuri sees—his [LeBron's] daughter—when she looks at Asia Wilson. And the fact that she can be a role model for his daughter in a way that he can't."
— Sabrina Merchant [06:55]
On New York Liberty’s High Pressure
"Not a lot of runway here...there's a lot of high expectations...if we've only come away with one title with the core that we have [in four years], then they’ll look at that as unsuccessful."
— Sabrina Merchant [21:22]
On Coaching Dominique Malonga
"Not putting a limit to her or a position on her, but really trying to open up her game and continue to develop where she’s going."
— Sonia Raman [42:38]
On Coaching Pipeline for Women and POC
"It just takes teams doing it and hiring...if you really want to do it and you're intentional about it, it can be done."
— Sonia Raman [46:35, 47:00]
Key Timestamps for Major Segments
| Time | Segment / Highlight | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:41 | Opening and Asia Wilson Time Athlete of the Year discussion | | 06:55 | LeBron quote on Asia Wilson’s role-model impact | | 14:14 | Intro of coaching carousel and Chris DeMarco with Liberty | | 27:18 | Sonia Raman interview starts | | 30:33 | Sonia on walking on at Tufts and athletic beginnings | | 32:10 | Leaving MIT for the NBA and the Grizzlies’ approach | | 37:56 | Value of a year with the Liberty and entering the WNBA | | 41:34 | Decision to take Seattle Storm HC job amidst CBA uncertainty | | 42:38 | Coaching Dominique Malonga | | 46:35 | Pipeline for women coaches in NBA/WNBA | | 53:26 | Hypothetical: Unretired WNBA legends |
Episode Tone and Takeaways
- Candid and insightful, with hosts and guest comfortable mixing deep analysis, personal anecdotes, and humor.
- Celebratory of women’s basketball’s progress—from star-driven accolades to visible, meaningful league growth.
- Serious about representation—both on the court and in coaching ranks, with thoughtful discussion of real diversity challenges.
- Optimistic for the future, pointing to exciting coaching hires, new talent like Malonga, league expansion, and surging fan engagement.
For Listeners Who Missed the Episode
This episode is a rich journey through current WNBA affairs, major honors, and the inspiring, unorthodox career of Sonia Raman. It’s an immersion in the intersection of sports, culture, and representation, offering both high-level trends in women’s basketball and a ground-level look at the lives and strategies of its leaders. Whether you’re focused on the biggest stars, the evolving field of coaching, or the excitement of team-building, this episode has something for every women’s hoops fan.