University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI women’s basketball alum named assistant coach and assistant general manager of the Portland Fire
11/25/2025 9:19:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PORTLAND, Oregon — The Portland Fire announced the hiring of former UNI Panther women's basketball star Brittni Donaldson as an assistant coach and assistant general manager. The move brings "one of the most forward-thinking, analytically driven, and player-centered coaches in professional basketball to the WNBA," said the Fire in their hiring press release.
"This is a groundbreaking hire for the franchise," said Portland Fire GM Černivec. "Brittni's rare blend of expertise, her unique skill set and forward-thinking approach make her one of the brightest minds in basketball. More importantly, she is incredibly humble, open minded and kind and we're confident she'll have an immediate and lasting impact on our franchise."
"We are redefining traditional staffing structures to achieve our goal of being on the cutting edge of professional sports," said head coach Alex Sarama. "Brittni will play an integral part within this new model, which is centered around a coaching staff that is entirely collaborative and deeply committed to evidence-based development," said Sarama. "Brittni is one of the sharpest minds in the game. She blends world-class analytical expertise with an athlete-centered coaching philosophy. She will play a key role in bringing the Fire strategy to life."
"This is an incredible opportunity to help shape a team from the ground up," Donaldson said. "The Fire are committed to modern basketball and building a performance environment that reflects where the sport is going. I'm excited to work with Vanja, Ashley and Alex and the rest of this organization to set a new standard for what a basketball team can be."
Donaldson was the first female assistant coach in Atlanta Hawks franchise history, serving in that role from 2023-25. She came to the Hawks from the Detroit Pistons, where she was assistant coach/director of coaching analytics. Formerly an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors from 2019-21 after two seasons as the club's data analyst, basketball operations, she was part of the Raptors' NBA championship team in 2019. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Donaldson played four seasons with the Panthers and graduated in 2015 with a degree in statistics and actuarial science.
Following her graduation from UNI, Donaldson worked for CBE Companies in Cedar Falls analyzing internal data. After a stint as an analyst with STATS LLC in Chicago, Donaldson moved to Canada and teamed up with another former Panther in, then, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.
Joining Toronto as a data analyst in 2017, Donaldson was part of the Raptors staff that helped deliver the franchise's first NBA championship in 2019. In addition to coaching the Raptors' NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas, she would spend her final two years with the Raptors organization as an assistant coach under Nurse, as well as an assistant for Toronto's NBA G-League team, Raptors 905.
In 2021, Donaldson co-founded her own sports analytics company in Strata Athletics, which aims to enhance transferable life skills and keep young athletes engaged in sports longer. Alongside co-founder Chad Songey, she currently serves as the company's chief executive officer.
Following a brief stay as an assistant coach and director of coaching development with the Hamilton Honey Badgers in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, Donaldson returned to the NBA with the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach and the director of coaching analytics under head coach Dwayne Casey.
About The Portland Fire
Portland Fire is one of the Women's National Basketball League's newest franchises, making its official on court debut in 2026. Owned by RAJ Sports – led by Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage – the team is more than a franchise; it's the revival of a movement, honoring the legacy of the original Portland Fire while blazing a bold new path forward. Based in Portland, Oregon, the global epicenter of women's sports, Portland Fire is rooted in the Rose City's enduring resilience, spirit, and passion for sport.
UNI women's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Women's Basketball), X (@UNIwbb), and on Instagram (@uni_wbb). The 2025-26 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com
