INDIANAPOLIS — Briann January is returning to the franchise that drafted her.
The Indiana Fever announced Wednesday that January, the team’s No. 6 draft pick out of Arizona State in 2009, will be an assistant coach on Stephanie White‘s staff. She will round out the coaching staff for the 2025 season, which also includes assistant coaches Karima Christmas-Kelly and Austin Kelly and player development coach Keith Porter.
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“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 in a statement. “I’m ready to get to work and hopefully bring another championship to Indiana with this incredible team and staff.”
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January played for the Fever for nine seasons and was a vital part of Indiana’s 2012 championship run. She ranks second in the franchise with 250 games played and 909 assists, third in steals with 285 and fourth in points with 2,244.
January played under White for multiple seasons, including White’s first stint as the Fever’s head coach in 2014-15. The Spokane, Wash., native was traded to Phoenix in 2018 and played two seasons there. While with Phoenix, she served as an assistant coach at Arizona State. She then played in Connecticut for the 2020 and ’21 seasons before finishing her career in ’22 with her hometown Seattle Storm.
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January then moved to coaching, where she immediately got a job under White with the Sun. The two worked together in Connecticut in the 2023 and ’24 seasons, bringing the Sun to the WNBA semifinals both years.
Now, White has brought January back to Indiana.
“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,” White said in a statement. “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.”
January is also an assistant on the NBA G League Motor City Cruise coaching staff, which is based in Detroit. The Cruise missed the G League playoffs and ended their season on March 29, so January can now turn her attention to the Fever.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA news: Indiana Fever hire Briann January as assistant coach
