Former Memphis Grizzlies Assistant Coach Sonia Raman Joins York Liberty’s Coaching Staff
- When she joined the Memphis team in 2020, she made history by becoming the first Indian American woman to be appointed assistant coach of a NBA team.
Sonia Raman, the former assistant coach of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, joined New York Liberty’s coaching staff earlier this month. The Indian American, who was with the Memphis Grizzlies for four seasons, from 2020-2024, including three postseason appearances, joined head coach Sandy Brondello’s staff, the reigning WNBA Champion team announced on Jan. 13. In 2020, Raman made history by becoming the first Indian American woman to be appointed assistant coach of an NBA team.
“We are excited to welcome Sonia to New York as we prepare for our title defense in 2025,” said Brondello in a New York Liberties press release. “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.”
According to The Next: a basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX, “ Raman had been on the radar of the Chicago Sky back in 2023 when they were looking for a new head coach to succeed interim Emre Vatansever following James Wade’s mid-season departure.” She was interviewed, but the team “ended up hiring Teresa Weatherspoon,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported at the time.
“Raman’s hire signals a desire within the Liberty’s front office to become more competitive in their defense of the franchise’s first championship.,” The Next noted. She will bring “a different type of basketball mind to the Liberty’s staff, one that has a background in analytics and will be able to challenge and also support Brondello’s staff in high pressure situations,” the website said.
Before her tenure in the NBA, Raman served as the head coach of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) women’s basketball for 12 seasons from 2008 to 2020 where she became the winningest coach in program history. Off court, she served a two-year term on the Coaches Council for the Alliance of Women Coaches beginning in September 2017.
Born in Framingham, Massachusetts, she played for and graduated from Tufts University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations. She later received her juris doctor from Boston College Law School.
