Canadian hoop star Natalie Achonwa heads to Michigan to continue her basketball career

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Canadian basketball star Natalie Achonwa is taking the next step in her hoop career.

The four-time Olympian was named the assistant coach of player development for Michigan's women’s basketball team earlier this week.

Achonwa said that while she will miss being a player, she’s ready to go in a new direction.

“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,” Achonwa said 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 Games were the 31-year-old Achonwa’s fourth Olympics, the most by a Canadian basketball player. She played in 79 career games for Canada’s 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 2015-20, before joining the Minnesota Lynx in 2021.

The 6-foot-3 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,” Achowna said. “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.

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The Associated Press