{"id":888966,"date":"2026-10-20T15:30:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T15:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/888966\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T15:30:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T15:30:21","slug":"latoya-sanders-won-a-wnba-title-as-a-player-now-she-wants-the-same-for-the-atlanta-dream-as-a-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/888966\/","title":{"rendered":"LaToya Sanders won a WNBA title as a player. Now she wants the same for the Atlanta Dream as a coach."},"content":{"rendered":"

On the afternoon of Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals last week, Atlanta Dream<\/a> guard Rhyne Howard warmed up on a stationary bike just outside the visitors\u2019 tunnel of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.<\/p>\n

The Dream were one win shy of sweeping the New York Liberty and clinching the franchise\u2019s first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013. Understandably, Howard appeared locked in, wearing a steady game face as she pedaled out the final moments of the team\u2019s media availability before shootaround. <\/p>\n

Her demeanor shifted after a question about the impact of LaToya Sanders<\/a>, one of her assistant coaches. A full smile now radiated across Howard\u2019s face as she sat back in her seat, her expression answering the question before she even said a word.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom, she\u2019s like, \u2018[LaToya]\u2019s your big sister.\u2019 We\u2019re so much alike. I think that\u2019s what helps [LaToya] to keep me grounded,\u201d Howard said. \u201cI think she\u2019s been perfect thus far. I hope that I can have her for the rest of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her second season with the Dream, and her fifth as an assistant coach, Sanders has become a pivotal sideline contributor to Atlanta\u2019s on-court success. Those close to Sanders, whose 12-year professional career included seven WNBA seasons and a 2019 championship, laud her basketball intellect and meticulous work ethic. Her pursuit of excellence in basketball, whether as a coach or a player, has been tireless. <\/p>\n

Ultimately, her work is for one goal: to pull the best out of her players, to win a championship and one day, hopefully soon, to become a head coach. For now, she\u2019s looking for her first title as an assistant.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sacrifice a lot as a player. You sacrifice a lot as a coach,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cTo then come out with the ultimate prize, a championship, it would be wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AtlantaSanders (right) and Angel Reese (left) of the Atlanta Dream review film before a game against the Las Vegas Aces on Aug. 18 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. <\/p>\n

David Becker\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Among Sanders\u2019 responsibilities is working individually with Howard and Angel Reese, two of the Dream\u2019s All-Stars. She helps craft training plans and watches film with them, tailoring her presentations to highlight how they can use their skill sets to exploit defenses in upcoming games.<\/p>\n

Sanders\u2019 key to the pair\u2019s success? Finding ways to elevate their teammates\u2019 play.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of them know that when other players get involved and have success, that the game is easier for them,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cWe feel like no matter how good you are, there\u2019s always areas that even the best players can improve in. We try to focus on those so they can be unstoppable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard lauded Sanders\u2019 feedback style.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that whatever she\u2019s saying is not coming from a bad place,\u201d Howard said. \u201cThe impact that she\u2019s had on me, the impact that she\u2019s had on Angel, I think has helped us become better players this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

One area Sanders has worked on with Reese is free throw shooting. During the playoffs, Reese has shot 87.1 percent from the line. In Game 2 against the Liberty, Reese came up big with multiple late-game free throw makes to secure the Dream\u2019s overtime win. After the game, Reese referenced the free-throw regimen Sanders has crafted for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got to shoot 10 in a row with Toya. Last one got to be a swish coming right back to me,\u201d Reese told Holly Rowe, a sideline reporter for ESPN and ABC.<\/p>\n

Added Reese a few days later on Sanders: \u201cWe have honest conversations. We watch a lot of film. She\u2019s been great for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RhyneAmong the responsibilities of Atlanta Dream assistant coach LaToya Sanders (right) is working individually with Rhyne Howard (left) and Angel Reese. <\/p>\n

Adam Hagy\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

This weekend, Howard and Reese will make their WNBA Finals debuts. Until forward DeWanna Bonner arrived in late August, guards Jordin Canada and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough were the only players on the Atlanta roster to lift a WNBA championship trophy. As a result, Sanders \u2014 who understands the pressures of a Finals run after winning the 2019 title with the Washington Mystics \u2014 has been an integral resource for Dream players, answering their questions about what it takes to win in October.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a lot of players on this team, [and] they really haven\u2019t been out of the first round of the playoffs until this year,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cSo understanding while that is an accomplishment, it\u2019s not our end goal and we\u2019re all going to just have to take a step forward to win a championship. I mean, it took me 12 years to get to the Finals \u2014 then 13 to win a championship. So, it\u2019s not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanders\u2019 role on the 2019 Mystics was that of the starting lineup\u2019s reliable anchor, especially defensively. She was adaptable and could fill the gaps where the team needed her, helping the franchise to its first ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did all the little things,\u201d said Dream guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, another member of the 2019 Mystics. \u201cWhenever we needed her to step up, she definitely did that. We counted on her all the time defensively, and she always showed up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond her time in the WNBA, Sanders had a formidable career overseas. She played alongside stars Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore in Russia and won the EuroLeague with UMMC Ekaterinburg in 2018<\/a>. She became a naturalized Turkish citizen in 2012, representing the country at both the 2014 FIBA World Championships and the 2016 Rio Olympics.<\/p>\n

\"LaToyaAtlanta Dream assistant coach LaToya Sanders (left) and Angel Reese (right) work out before a WNBA game against the Las Vegas Aces on Aug. 18 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. <\/p>\n

Ethan Miller\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Mike Thibault, the second-winningest coach in WNBA history, coached Sanders for four seasons in Washington. He said he always saw a future coach in her because of how she read the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was smart, as smart as players that I\u2019ve had,\u201d Thibault said. \u201cShe knew scouting reports, knew the game, and studied other players. She really, really studied the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thibault wasn\u2019t sure, however, whether Sanders would be the \u201csuper outgoing\u201d or \u201cdemonstrative\u201d presence that coaching demands.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think she knew if she was good enough at that, if she would let herself kind of go,\u201d Thibault said. \u201cWhen she and I talked about it, that was not a concern, but just something where she was [asking], \u2018Are you sure I can do this?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanders joined Thibault\u2019s coaching staff as an assistant in 2022. Just as she was during her playing days, Sanders was consistently the first person in the gym. Thibault remembers being impressed by her curiosity as a coach. In addition to the X\u2019s and O\u2019s, she expressed an interest in learning about the workings of the front office, from salary caps to trades.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a coach, that gives you an appreciation for all that has to go into building a roster, camaraderie and a culture,\u201d Thibault said of Sanders, who was promoted to associate head coach in November 2022 and hired as an assistant with the Dream in 2025. \u201cA lot of young coaches who come from being players assume they know a lot more, and she does not. \u2026 There\u2019s a process to this, and [she] was willing to go through the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now in her fifth year on the sidelines, Sanders has seemingly found her voice. Thibault said Sanders has grown more comfortable standing up and saying what\u2019s needed, while Walker-Kimbrough added that one of Sanders\u2019 strengths is holding players accountable. Most importantly, Walker-Kimbrough said, Sanders does it authentically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like sometimes when you\u2019re trying to step into a new role, you kind of sometimes lose yourself or try to overdo it,\u201d Walker-Kimbrough said. \u201c[Sanders] has stayed herself and she\u2019s been honest and she\u2019s been blunt when she needs to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those around Sanders, from Thibault to Walker-Kimbrough to Dream head coach Karl Smesko, said she\u2019s ready to take the next step in her coaching career.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s ready to be a head coach right now,\u201d Smesko told reporters last month. \u201cShe knows basketball at an exceptionally high level and she connects with people at an exceptionally high level. When you have those two things, you\u2019re going to have a lot of success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanders continues to develop as a coach, even shadowing Atlanta Hawks practices during the offseason, but she is uncertain of her next step. While she enjoys her time with the Dream, she said she would never turn down a head coach opportunity \u2014 provided it is the right fit, including a potential move to the college ranks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a lot from my coaching experiences in Washington, definitely for myself. I learned a lot from my coaching experience here with Karl so, yeah, you know I think I would be a good [head coach],\u201d she said. \u201cWhen that situation presents itself, I think I\u2019ll be ready for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Sanders reflected on her journey in the league and her chance to win her first title as a coach, she thought about how much has changed in both her life and the WNBA since 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Standing on the sidelines of Barclays Center, Sanders recalled that the Liberty played in suburban Westchester County, not Brooklyn, in 2019. Back then, 4,000 fans watched the Mystics raise the WNBA championship trophy. Now, the Dream and Golden State Valkyries will play their Finals games in arenas seating more than 17,000.<\/p>\n

And Sanders\u2019 5-year-old son, Semih Sway Sanders, wasn\u2019t born yet \u2014 she would like to give him a championship experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of just like a full circle. I poured a lot into playing in the WNBA, made a lot of sacrifices, continue to make sacrifices, you know, as a coach. So, it\u2019s the same feeling,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cI would love the opportunity to win the championship as both player and coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sean Hurd is a senior writer for Andscape who primarily covers women\u2019s basketball. His athletic peak came at the age of 10 when he was named camper of the week at a Josh Childress basketball camp.<\/p>\n

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