Pokey Chatman facts for kids
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Chatman in 2019
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| Seattle Storm | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Assistant Coach | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 18, 1969 Ama, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| High school | Hahnville (Boutte, Louisiana) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | LSU (1987–1991) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1992–present | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | WNBA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–2004 | LSU (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | LSU | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | WBC Sparta&K | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | Chicago Sky | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Indiana Fever | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022-present | Seattle Storm (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Dana "Pokey" Chatman (born June 18, 1969) is a well-known basketball coach. She is currently an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Before this, she was the head coach for the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky in the WNBA. She also coached the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team and the Spartak Moscow women's basketball team in Russia.
Pokey Chatman spent 20 years at LSU. She was a player, a student assistant, an assistant coach, and finally the head coach. As head coach, she led the Lady Tigers to three straight NCAA Final Four appearances. This was a huge achievement for the team!
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About Pokey Chatman
High School Star
Pokey Chatman was born in Ama, Louisiana. She played basketball as a point guard at Hahnville High School. She was an amazing player, earning the title of AAU All-American five times. She even made history by scoring the first 3-point shot in a high school game in Louisiana!
Playing at LSU
From 1987 to 1991, Chatman played for the LSU Lady Tigers. She was a Kodak All-American point guard in 1991. She started almost every game she played. She set records for steals (346) and assists (570) at LSU.
Chatman played in the NCAA tournament four times. Her team had a great record of 82 wins and 38 losses while she was a player. She was chosen as an All-SEC player three times. In 1991, she led the Lady Tigers to their first ever SEC Tournament title. She was even named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP)!
Coaching at LSU
After her playing days, Chatman stayed with the Lady Tigers. She was a student assistant for one season. Then, she became a full assistant coach in 1992. By 1999, she was promoted to associate head coach.
In the 2003–2004 season, the head coach, Sue Gunter, had to take a break for health reasons. Chatman stepped in as the interim coach. She led the team to an impressive 15–5 record. This helped the team reach the first Final Four in school history!
Becoming Head Coach
After that successful season, Sue Gunter retired. Pokey Chatman was then named the new head coach. In her first year as head coach, she led the Lady Tigers to an amazing 33–3 record. They won the SEC regular season title without losing a single game (14–0). They also reached the Final Four for the second year in a row.
In the 2005–2006 season, the Lady Tigers continued their success. They finished with a 31–4 record and won their second straight SEC title. They made it to their third consecutive Final Four! Chatman's record of 47 wins and only 3 losses was one of the best starts for a women's basketball coach.
Chatman received many awards for her coaching. She was named Coach of the Year by the Black Coaches Association in both 2004 and 2005. She also won the USBWA National Coach of the Year and the Russell/WBCA National Coach of the Year in 2005. She was inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 2007, Pokey Chatman resigned from her coaching position at LSU.
Coaching in Russia
In August 2007, Chatman moved to Russia. She became an assistant coach for the Women's Basketball Club Spartak Moscow Region. This team had just won the Euroleague Women's Final. Spartak went on to win the next three championships! In 2010, as the head coach, Chatman led the team to a perfect 16–0 record in the Euroleague. They won their fourth straight Euroleague Championship!
Coaching the Chicago Sky
On October 29, 2010, Chatman became the general manager and head coach of the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. She coached the team until October 2016.
Coaching the Indiana Fever
On November 18, 2016, Chatman was announced as the new head coach of the Indiana Fever. She took over after Stephanie White left. On September 10, 2019, Chatman left her role as general manager and head coach of the Indiana Fever.
Joining the Seattle Storm
On January 21, 2022, Pokey Chatman joined the Seattle Storm of the WNBA as an assistant coach.
Playing and Coaching for Team USA
As a Player for Team USA
Chatman was part of the USA Women's U18 team. This team won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil in August 1988. The USA team beat the host team Brazil by a score of 70–68 to win the championship.
As a Coach for Team USA
Chatman also served as an assistant coach for the USA Women's World University Games Team. This team played at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey in August 2005. The team won their first game against the Czech Republic 88–64. They continued to win against South Africa, China, and Poland.
In the quarterfinals, they beat Taiwan and Russia by more than 50 points each! This led them to the championship game against Serbia & Montenegro. The USA team won 79–63, finishing with a perfect 7–0 record and taking home the gold medal.
