Briann January coaches in Dallas-based Athletes Unlimited league in preparation for second season as Sun assistant

DALLAS – The last year has been full of nice accomplishments for Briann January.

Not only was she inducted into the Hooptown Hall of Fame in 2023 and completed her first season as a WNBA assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun, but the Lewis and Clark High School product accepted a new role as a facilitator (coach) for the 2024 season of Athletes Unlimited, a professional league playing in Dallas that wraps up on March 23.

“Well, it’s a great opportunity to work with high-level athletes. A majority of these players play in the (WNBA) and know the game,” January said. “It’s an opportunity for me to do what I love and be involved in the game, work on my skills as a coach, and then help these players improve and prepare for the WNBA season. Anything to improve our product, that’s what we’re about.”

And in a twist, January’s debut as a facilitator on Feb. 29 came against a team captained by fellow Spokane product Lexie Hull, who is competing in AU for a second straight season. The January-led Team Gray, captained by WNBA star Allisha Gray, prevailed 88-67, but January always enjoys seeing Hull play whether it’s in the WNBA or AU.

“I see Spokane (when I see her). I’m incredibly proud when I see her play because she represents our hometown very well,” January said of Hull. “She’s a hard worker. She keeps improving every year and gets it done on both ends of the court. I love seeing it.”

Now in its third season of play, AU has become a popular destination for players either wanting to avoid playing overseas in the offseason, to gain an extra edge while prepping for the upcoming WNBA season or both. This player-driven league allows participants to play for a preferred cause and has succeeded in creating a fun environment for players and fans alike.

Had AU been around in the early stages of her playing career, January thinks it would have been perfect for her.

“What they’re doing here is pretty awesome, amplifying these players’ voices, getting them involved in things that they’re passionate about, really blasting that out there,” she said.

“(AU) being a player-led league is really cool. It’s unique, it’s innovative, and I think I would have enjoyed it. It seems like the players are having a lot of fun. I might have done well. I would have picked up some points and been high on the leaderboard with some defensive rebounds and some assists. It would’ve been fun to see what I could have done in this league.”

January has recently shifted from player to full-time coach, just completing her first season as a Sun assistant in the WNBA, one of the teams she’d previously played for. Her transition to coaching has been rather seamless, but it was still a journey which produced plenty of lessons for someone who won a WNBA title in 2012 with Indiana and was selected to the league’s all-defensive first team on five occasions.

“Man, (I learned) sleep is overrated. Jokingly, it kind of threw me, it (the season) just goes so fast. It’s a sprint,” January said of year one in the WNBA. “It’s very long, but it’s a sprint. There’s a lot that goes into the short amount of time. Preparation is key. For me, it’s communicating with my players, hearing their feedback, every day trying to put them in positions to be successful on and off the court. It was a growing opportunity for me just to see the pace (of coaching in the pros). It’s really just preparing, trusting your preparation, and just communicating your game plan.”

Being an AU facilitator intrigued her on several levels. She said it’s a nice testimonial to Spokane’s well-deserved reputation as a basketball hotbed that one of AU’s facilitators and Week One captains are both proud local products.

“I’m proud to be from Spokane. It’s Hooptown,” January said. “We have a long tradition of great basketball players in our area and our state. I just feel like there are so many players that go out there and play hard. We play the right way, no nonsense, and we work hard. I love that about us. I went back this offseason and watched some high school games and I’m waiting for the next big player to come out of our area.”

Another big reason why she embraced this new opportunity is because she already knows most of the players competing this year whether it’s from playing against them in the WNBA or more recently, game planning for them as a trusted member of the Sun coaching staff.

“I’ve played with a handful of them and against a majority of them. So, it’s cool to be on the outside and familiar with their game because as a facilitator, I can help put them in positions to be successful,” January said. “I can help grow their game in the short amount of time (that we’re here). That’s what this is about, iron sharpening iron, great players being around great players, and having the opportunity to play basketball and prepare for the ‘W’ season.”

Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.