Get ready to witness a basketball revolution, because Portland’s new WNBA head coach is a 30-year-old British trailblazer who just might redefine the game as we know it. But here’s where it gets controversial: Alex Sarama, a disciple of the cutting-edge constraints-led approach (CLA), has never coached in the WNBA—and yet, he’s been handed the reins of an expansion franchise. Is this a bold leap forward or a risky gamble? Let’s dive in.
Earlier this week, Portland Fire general manager Vanja Cernivec hinted at the potential backlash when she told The Oregonian/OregonLive, ‘Probably we’re going to look a little crazy at the start. I’m ready for it.’ And she wasn’t wrong. The team’s premature announcement of Sarama’s hiring on Tuesday—quickly deleted from LinkedIn—sparked confusion. But on Friday, it’s official: Sarama is the man for the job.
And this is the part most people miss: Sarama isn’t just a coach; he’s a visionary. He describes the role as ‘an incredible opportunity to build something from the ground up,’ emphasizing the chance to ‘set the tone and culture from Day 1.’ His alignment with Cernivec’s evidence-based vision and the franchise’s willingness to embrace CLA makes this a match made in basketball heaven—or so they hope.
Here’s the kicker: Sarama is leaving his role as a key assistant for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, a team with championship aspirations, to lead a WNBA franchise with no track record. Bold? Absolutely. Risky? Undoubtedly. But Sarama isn’t new to defying expectations. He co-founded the Guildford Goldhawks, one of the UK’s top junior girls’ clubs, and has coached girls’ camps in Africa with Basketball Without Borders. His head coaching experience? A men’s elite junior academy in Italy from 2020-23. ‘I’m very well prepared,’ he insists.
Controversy alert: While CLA has gained traction in the NBA—with stars and teams like the Cavs and Memphis Grizzlies adopting it—no WNBA team has built their entire operation around it. Cernivec calls it a ‘secret weapon,’ but is it enough to justify this unconventional hire? Critics might argue that the WNBA demands proven leadership, not experimental methods. What do you think? Is this the future of basketball, or a risky bet?
CLA, at its core, replaces traditional drill-based learning with game-like scenarios, tailoring training to individual constraints like age, height, and skill. Cernivec likens it to learning a language through immersion rather than classroom lessons. ‘Chaotic learning helps you learn faster,’ she explains. But will this philosophy translate to wins on the court?
Sarama isn’t just a CLA adherent—he literally wrote the book on it: Transforming Basketball. Yet, he rejects the label of ‘player development coach,’ calling it ‘too siloed.’ Instead, he sees himself as a modern coach who blends offensive and defensive schemes, analytics, and even weight room strategies. ‘This is the future of the modern-day coach,’ he declares.
Here’s the question that divides opinions: Can a coach with no WNBA experience, but a wealth of global insights, truly revolutionize the league? Sarama promises fans something ‘very intentional,’ not a generic copy-paste approach. He aims to create a ‘culture of joy’ around the team. But will it work?
Cernivec’s track record—including her work with the Golden State Valkyries, another expansion success story—gives reason to trust her judgment. Yet, her choice of Sarama over seasoned WNBA leaders like Sandy Brondello has raised eyebrows. Is she a genius or a risk-taker?
As Sarama transitions from the NBA to the WNBA, he joins the ranks of coaches like Becky Hammon and Nate Tibbetts, who made similar leaps. But his vision goes
