On the 11th, North American Dana ‘Pokey’ Chatman, 55 years old, was announced as the new coach of the Brazilian women’s basketball team. This Wednesday (18), she held her first press conference in office, virtually. For just over 30 minutes, she covered several topics that generate interest in the second woman to lead Brazil in history. Chatman, who played for the University of Louisiana (United States) and graduated in the early 1990s, showed familiarity with the winning generation of Brazilian women’s basketball, with Hortência, Magic Paula and Janeth.
“I know people who have a connection with them and I hope to be with them in person soon. In the United States, we could all see how successful they were. I want all that excitement from that time to return, as well as the feeling of everyone paying attention and the whole country supporting. A new wave like that,” Chatman said.
In 2024, Brazil is witnessing the consolidation of a great talent: center Kamilla Cardoso, 2.03 meters tall, who concluded a prestigious career in North American college basketball before being selected by the Chicago Sky, a WNBA team (northern league). -American basketball). The Brazilian – who currently plays for Shanghai Swordfish (China), with the end of the season in the United States – had a standout first year and is seen as one of the names with the greatest potential in the world.
“She is phenomenal. I’ve been following Kamilla since high school, I’m friends with Dawn Staley [ex-técnica da seleção dos EUA e também da Universidade de South Carolina, onde a brasileira jogou] and I saw all your growth. Now, on the biggest stage in the world we can see her being not only relevant, but dominant. You can almost forget how tall she is, the way she runs around the court like a point guard. Having one of the greatest talents in the world as a pillar of the team really excites me. Many people see her as a young player [tem 23 anos]but she is already an inspiration for younger girls and this will only increase her confidence to be a good leader”, says the North American, in response to Brazil Agency.
With the 3rd pick in the 2024 #WNBADraft presented by @StateFarmthe @chicagosky select @Kamillascsilva of @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/fkNPSaz3sj
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 15, 2024
However, at the moment Brazil is struggling to re-establish itself as a strong and competitive team. Although it managed to perform well against countries considered stronger and more traditional, the women’s team was left out of the last two editions of the World Cup and also the Olympic Games. The last world-class competition that featured the Brazilian team was the Rio Olympics, in 2016.
Chatman brings over thirty years of experience as part of technical committees, whether as a central figure or as an assistant. She commanded the same University of Louisiana that she defended as a player, won the Euroleague with Spartak Moscow, from Russia, and was a coach for the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever in the WNBA. He was also in charge of the Slovakia national team. She is currently an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm, another WNBA team.
As is the practice for coaches who leave their homeland to take up jobs abroad, the North American will have to go through a process of adaptation to Brazilian basketball, which involves everything from becoming familiar with the athletes to also understanding their way of thinking and relating. with sport in Brazil. Faced with this challenge, some factors helped Chatman to be enchanted by the opportunity and see it positively.
“The first condition I set for myself was that it was something I felt connected to. And due to my work, people I met and other things, I had a connection with Brazil. The passion, the culture. My time abroad helped me gain this perspective. Now, it’s a matter of combining my style with that of the players and thus elevating the whole. There are many layers and that’s what excites me most”, he reflects.
Pokey is married to a Brazilian and, in addition, has memories of her first trip abroad, when she competed in the under-18 Americas championship, in São Paulo, in 1988, together with the United States team. The expectation is that the sentimental bond created with the country is just the beginning of a winning work. During the press conference, Chatman acknowledged the weight of results in evaluating work, but avoided making promises. He mentioned several times the importance of feeling the athletes’ level of commitment to defending Brazil in the next cycle. Before thinking about playing in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, the women’s team has closer goals. In 2025, there will be Americup, between June and July, in Santiago (Chile).
The new coach stated that she should come to Brazil in March to strengthen ties, make contacts and follow some matches of the LBF (Women’s Basketball League), the country’s main championship, which traditionally begins in women’s month.
“I say the goal is to win at the highest level, but first it is important to build this foundation, trust, and have good communication. Learn more about the players so they understand how we are going to play. Don’t get me wrong, we will be judged by wins and losses. But there are a lot of things to be established before we even get to the games themselves,” said Chatman.
