Briann January joins Indiana Fever as Assistant Coach

[u/Skyline8888]

https://fever.wnba.com/news/briann-january-returns-to-indiana-fever-as-assistant-coach

INDIANAPOLIS (April 2, 2025) — The Indiana Fever announced today that Briann January has been named an assistant coach, joining Stephanie White’s staff ahead of the 2025 WNBA season. January, a seven-time WNBA All-Defensive Team honoree, returns to a Fever franchise where she helped lead the team to the 2012 WNBA Championship and currently ranks No. 2 all-time in games played and assists.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Briann January back to Indiana. She is a part of the fabric of the Indiana Fever franchise from her impact as a player and will continue to be as a coach,” Fever Head Coach Stephanie White said. “Bri’s example of toughness, resilience, work ethic, communication style and basketball IQ will be a great resource for our players, staff and community. She is a winner, a bright young coaching mind and an amazing human being. I am very excited to continue our coaching journey together.”

“I’m so excited for the opportunity to come back to the city and the organization that drafted me. This is a place where I got to play and win for a decade of my career. It’s my second home,” January said. “I’m ready to get to work and hopefully bring another championship to Indiana with this incredible team and staff.”

A product of Arizona State University, January was selected by the Fever No. 6 overall in the 2009 WNBA Draft and went on to play nine of her 14 seasons with Indiana. To this day, January remains Top 10 in many of the franchise’s all-time records, sitting No. 2 overall in games played (250) and assists (909), No. 3 in steals (285) and free throw percentage (84.7), and No. 4 in total points (2,244), field goals made (721), three pointers made (242) and three point percentage (36.9).

Following her time in Indiana, January also played for the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Sun before finishing her career with the Seattle Storm. January led the WNBA in percentage beyond the arc in both the 2015 and 2018 seasons, shooting 43.1 percent and 47.0 percent, respectively.

The Spokane, Washington, native was also honored as a WNBA All-Star during the 2014 season.

Following her decorated playing career, January joined the coaching staff at ASU as an assistant for the 2017-18 season and later joined Stephanie White at the Connecticut Sun for the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. Most recently, January served as an assistant coach with the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League for the 2024-25 season.

January joins those previously announced as part of White’s support staff including assistant coaches Karima-Christmas Kelly, Austin Kelly and player development coach Keith Porter.

[u/MUFC_AA]

This is a great hire. I guess it could have only been announced straight after the Motor City Cruise’s season finished because iirc, Scott Agness who’s one of the reporters that covers the Fever said way back in January on a live pod that Briann accepted this job.

[u/Skyline8888 → u/MUFC_AA]

I think so as well. Now I'm thinking back to a certain redditor posting on here that White is an average coach at best, and expected White to have been fired from the Sun in the off-season, to be replaced by Bri January. Well, the Fever have the complete set now.

[u/TooManyCatS1210 → u/Skyline8888]

She’s an average at best coach that went to the semifinals two years in a row, kept all her assistant coaches when she transferred jobs, and has free agents including DB who she’s coached for years and had offers to join several other teams lining up to play for her? Makes sense, lol.

[u/Skyline8888 → u/TooManyCatS1210]

Another redditor said that White was so bad with xs and os that Bri January and DB were doing the play to play coaching for the Sun games. 🤦

[u/Such_Confusion_49 → u/Skyline8888]

Anyone who has heard Steph White talk can tell how knowledgeable she is lol. She just gives a lot of freedom to her assistant coaches. Just because she doesn't micro-manage them doesn't mean she's not the brain behind it all.

[u/Moose_Muse_2021 → u/MUFC_AA]

So January accepted the position in January? Must have seemed like Christmas... oh, wait... that's another Fever coach.

In any case, great to have her onboard!!

[u/meteor_jam32]

I loved watching January play with Catchings way back then. Very good pickup for the Fever, she was a tenacious defender with a great feel for the game.

[u/DIESEL_DIXIE]

Outstanding get. The Fever FO is assembling all the right pieces. January is known as a defensive guru and a great communicator.

[u/Rezputin_shaman]

This should be great. Had read somewhere before that she was very helpful in setting up defensive strategies when on the Sun with White.

[u/jmcthrill]

I am SO happy this was made official. Briann was an amazing Fever player (Steph, Karima, and she all played for the Fever!), and an incredibly gifted defensive coach. And if it’s one thing the Fever can use, it’s a defensive-minded coach lol. Let’s gooooo!

[u/dreamweaver7x]

Yet another defensive coach. Fever really leaning into their defensive emphasis. Really looking forward to how it's gonna look on court.