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Briann January returned to her former team, the Indiana Fever, but this time, she had a different role. On Wednesday, the team announced that it was hiring January as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
With January's signing being a highlight news piece for the WNBA team, a statement from 2012 has resurfaced. During the same season, the Fever team won its first and only WNBA title. However, something outstanding happened on the Parade Day.
The weather tried to ruin the celebration, but the Indiana Fever team was in no mood to let the historic moment get soaked. The team and the thousands of fans lined up moved inside the Bankers Life Fieldhouse to celebrate the historic win.
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"Nothing's going to keep us down," Briann January had said during the celebration.
It wasn't easy for the Fever to win the title. The team struggled with injuries and losses to begin the season. However, the Indiana squad picked itself up behind head coach Lin Dunn.
After they had carried out the job, Dunn did not hold back. She spoke with fierceness, like an aggressive leader of the champions.
"Minnesota, Connecticut and Atlanta had never seen defense like these guys play," Dunn said, indicating to her players. "And let me tell you what else we did those three series: Atlanta, Connecticut, Minnesota ... we kicked their ass on the boards."
The team finished the regular season second in the East and fourth overall. They went on to defeat the Atlanta Dream in their first playoff series. They then defeated the Connecticut Sun, the top seed in the East, in the Conference final.
Tamika Catchings and Co. stunned the Minnesota Lynx, the best team in the league that season, in the opening game. The Fever defeated the Lynx in Game 1 in front of their home crowd. The Lynx evened the series in the second game, but that will be their final blow as Indiana took the series 3-1. Catchings was declared the Finals MVP.
New Indiana Fever coach Briann January eyes her second title with the Fever
Briann January and the Indiana Fever's new head coach, Stephanie White, have a long relationship. January worked with White as an assistant coach for the Connecticut Sun for the 2023 and 2024 WNBA seasons. In November last year, she joined the G-League team, the Motor City Cruise, as an assistant coach.
On Wednesday, after joining White on the Indiana Fever squad, January said that she was ready to bring another title for the team.
"I'm so excited for the opportunity to come back to the city and the organization that drafted me," January said. "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."
In 9 years with the Indiana Fever, Briann January averaged 9.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She made the WNBA All-Defensive Team seven times in her career.
