S2E5: WNBA vet, Olympian and WNBPA executive committee member, Natalie Achonwa, joins us to discuss the WNBA expansion, growing the game & how motherhood has impacted her on & off the court.
Today's episode features Natalie Achonwa, a multiple time Olympic athlete, WNBA vet and an executive member of the WNBPA. Natalie joins the show to discuss the WNBA expansion, how we can continue to elevate women’s basketball and how recently becoming a mother has impacted her on and off the court.
We start off by reflecting on Nat’s unique basketball background, growing up in Canada and specializing in basketball at an elite level very early in her high school career. This led her to Notre Dame, where she went to four straight Final Fours and made such an amazing impact on campus that she has since been inducted to the Notre Dame Ring of Honor — joining other Fighting Irish greats like Kayla McBride, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Niele Ivey.
Natalie was drafted by the Indiana Fever in the 2014. She played 6 seasons with the Fever before joining the Minnesota Lynx in 2021. She’ll be an unrestricted free agent going into the 2023-24 season. Natalie holds several WNBA honors, such as the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award, WNBA Season-Long Community Assist Award and was a member of the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Aside from her WNBA career, Natalie is one of the heartbeats of Canada basketball. She’s played in several Olympic, FIBA and Pan American international competitions, in addition to spending several “WNBA off-seasons” (huge air quotes) overseas in Europe and Asia.
We talk a ton about basketball and specifically women’s basketball — how we can continue to grow the game and improve the league. Natalie shares unique perspectives as both a player and a member of the player’s association, as well as her views on topics as a new mom.
Natalie recently welcomed her son, Maverick, to the world earlier this year so the 2023-24 season will be her first season back to the WNBA since becoming a mother, and she will be an unrestricted free agent entering the offseason. We talk about the free agency experience, what she’s looking forward to and expectations for coming back after maternity leave.
This is a great conversation packed with gems! Make sure you follow Nat on Instagram and Twitter, and continue to support her as she continues to highly decorated career!
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