Briann January was a legendary participant for the Indiana Fever, serving to the workforce to the 2017 championship and rating second all-time in franchise video games and assists.
Now, the six-time All-Defensive Crew member returns to the Fever as an assistant coach — becoming a member of a new-look roster that added DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham within the offseason. The Fever will likely be lead by final yr’s core of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell.
January joins a training workers headlined by Stephanie White and an assistant workers that features Karima-Christmas Kelly, Austin Kelly, and Keith Porter.
Briann January makes the transfer from Connecticut to Indiana
January spent the final two seasons as an assistant coach on the Connecticut Solar beneath Briann January, the place she performed a big function in orchestrating the workforce’s protection, which ranked among the many finest within the league in each 2023 and 2024.
In Connecticut, January additionally coached Bonner, who joined the Fever as a free agent within the offseason. Kelly and Porter each coached for the Solar final yr beneath White as nicely — January will see a lot of acquainted faces in Indiana.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Briann January again to Indiana,” White mentioned. “She is part of the material of the Indiana Fever franchise from her affect as a participant and can proceed to be as a coach,”
“Bri’s instance of toughness, resilience, work ethic, communication type, and basketball IQ will likely be a terrific useful resource for our gamers, workers, and group,” she continued. “She is a winner, a vivid younger teaching thoughts, and an incredible human being. I’m very excited to proceed our teaching journey collectively.”
Briann January had an illustrious profession with the Indiana Fever as a participant
January, who was chosen by Fever No. 6 within the 2009 WNBA Draft, performed 9 seasons in Indiana. She averaged 7.8 factors and three.4 assists per sport, taking pictures 37.6% from three in her profession.
She’s additionally among the many franchises’ leaderboard in a slew of classes: no. 2 total in video games performed (250) and assists (909), no. 3 in steals (285) and free throw proportion (84.7), and no. 4 in complete factors (2,244), subject targets made (721), three-pointers made (242), and three-point proportion (36.9).
“Identified for her cerebral type of play, lockdown protection and professional passing as a participant, Briann January now offers all of these attributes and information as a coach.”
⭐️ WNBA Champion (2012)
⭐️ WNBA All-Star (2014)
⭐️ 7x WNBA All-Defensive Crew pic.twitter.com/aRBzUxmw8x— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 2, 2025
Why Briann January may very well be so impactful
For January, the chance to return to Indiana to educate is an opportunity to compete for a championship in a company the place she’s already gained one.
“I’m so excited for the chance to return again to the town and the group that drafted me,” January mentioned. “This can be a place the place I bought to play and win for a decade of my profession. It’s my second residence. I’m able to get to work and hopefully carry one other championship to Indiana with this unbelievable workforce and workers.”
January was generally known as a defensive guru as a participant, and continues to be thought of elite defensively as a coach. Provided that protection was one of many Fever’s weaknesses final season, January’s addition to the workers might show vastly impactful.
Final season, Indiana had the second-worst protection ranking within the league. This season, they added a number of protection standouts, like Howard and Bonner. January might assist tie all of it collectively.
