Call her coach: Canadian basketball great Natalie Achonwa ready for next step

Becoming a coach has always been in the cards for Canadian basketball great Natalie Achonwa.

The four-time Olympian was named the assistant coach of player development for the Michigan Wolverines NCAA women's basketball team on Tuesday. Achonwa said that although she'll miss being an active player, she's ready for the next step of her basketball career.

"Anyone that's been a part of this journey or known me for a long time knows that coaching is something that I've always wanted to do," said Achonwa on Thursday. "My niche in this game has been my I.Q., how I think the game, how I see the game.

"So it was definitely something that I wanted to continue after I was playing."

The Paris Olympics were the 31-year-old Achonwa's fourth Games, the most ever by a Canadian basketball player. She played in 79 career games for Canada's senior national squad, the second most in team history, joining the team when she was 16.

After being drafted ninth overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2014 WNBA Draft out of Notre Dame, Achonwa played nine seasons in the WNBA and six overseas. She played with the Fever from 2015-2020, before joining the Minnesota Lynx in 2021.

The six-foot-three forward averaged 7.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in her WNBA career.

"The other piece to it is I've been very fortunate to have some amazing leaders and coaches and mentors on my own journey and I really wanted an opportunity to give back to the game," said Achonwa, taking a break from packing up her house in Indianapolis as she prepares to move to Ann Arbor, Mich. "That's what led me to Michigan and connecting with coach (Kim Barnes) Arico and the staff.

"I knew that was going to be my opportunity to give back to the game."

Achonwa finished her national career as Canada women's basketball's all-time leader in Olympic assists with 43. She led Canada to the 2015 FIBA AmeriCup championship, its first gold in 20 years and to its first-ever Pan American Games title that same year.

"To me, that doesn't say legacy. To me, those are just accolades," said Achonwa, who announced her attention to retire from the national team before the Paris Olympics began. "As I was announcing that I was done people reached out and told me how proud of me they were, how much of an honour it was to share the court with me, how thankful they were that we crossed paths.

"For me, that's legacy. It's never been about the awards, the trophies, the games. It's never been about that. It's the journey. It's always been about the people and the experiences."

Achonwa's not necessarily done with Canada Basketball, however.

"Canada Basketball is who I am," she said. "Representing my country all those years, it doesn't just go away.

"I've told the CEO, Mike Bartlett, that we're stuck together and that even though I won't put a jersey on, I'm still equally invested in Canada Basketball, the growth of our game, those that are coming up after us."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press