The Seattle Storm have added Maine Celtics general manager Jarell Christian to their coaching staff, sources confirmed to SB Nation. Christian, a former professional basketball player who has served as an assistant coach in the NBA, G League, and for various college basketball teams, will join the staff of Sonia Raman, who is slated to be the Storm’s next head coach. The hiring was first reported by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Seattle Storm add Celtics executive to coaching staff
Jarell Christian, the current general manager of the Maine Celtics, will serve as Sonia Raman’s assistant general manager on the Seattle Storm.
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Christian joins the Storm having served as the general manager of the Maine Celtics — the Celtics’ G League affiliate — since 2022. Before that, he was the Maine Celtics’ head coach (2022), the assistant coach of the Washington Wizards (2019-2021), the head coach of the Capitol City Go-Go (2018-19), and the assistant coach of the Oklahoma City Blue (2014-18).
Sonia Raman replaces Noelle Quinn as the Storm’s new head coach after the veteran team once again finished with a first-round exit.
Raman most recently served as an assistant coach on the New York Liberty, and prior to that, on the Memphis Grizzlies. Before that, she was the longtime head coach of the MIT women’s basketball team.
Boston Celtics forward Xavier Tillman, who played for Raman in Memphis, praised the hiring.
“She was big on watching film and breaking the defense down into what’s going to be available for the offense, as well as the work,” Tillman said. ”I could tell you a number of times when she was down there, rebounded for me, she was in the trenches with me, just putting in work and stuff like that in the mornings before shootaround. She was definitely a big part of my development.”
Across the league, WNBA teams have begun to make assistant coach selections.
In addition to the Storm, four teams have hired new coaches this offseason: the New York Liberty (Chris DeMarco), Toronto Tempo (Sandy Brondello), Portland Fire (Alex Samara), and Dallas Wings (Jose Fernandez).
While entire coaching staff have yet to be announced, ESPN reported on Wednesday that Hall of Famer Sylvia Fowles was joining Samara’s coaching staff in Portland.
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