January Prodded By Catchings, Steps Up When It Matters Most In Finals


MINNEAPOLIS– Briann January has orchestrated the Indiana Fever like a maestro during the WNBA Finals, picking her spots and running head coach Stephanie White’s offense as well as it’s been run all season.

January is averaging 16 points per game in these WNBA Finals – a good eight points more than her regular season average. She’s also averaging six assists per game compared to her 3.4 assist average in the regular season.

Her stout defense has also carried over to the postseason. The first-team All-Defensive team member has played phenomenal individual defense on a variety of players during this series. She’s helped limit the effectiveness of Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus.



So, what sparked the increased production? Was it just a natural development given the stakes? Assuredly, that could be the case, but Tamika Catchings says she pulled January aside before the Finals and issued a challenge to her. Simply put, Catchings put her trust in January, handed her the keys to the offense and told her to go perform.

“It was huge,” January said. “My relationship with [Catchings] has grown over the years. I still look up to her. She’s still one of my role models, and we communicate. That’s somebody that I don’t want to let down. She has given her all for this organization, and to be able to play under somebody like that and play alongside somebody like that for seven years, it’s been amazing. When she came to me, just for her to take some time out and have a sit down conversation and be like, ‘Yo, I know you can do this.’ To have her confidence, to have that support from her meant the world. So, I wanted to exceed her expectations.”

White has seen her young guard play at different levels over the years – from both the head coaching spot and during her time as an assistant. She’s seen what January is capable of, but her poised performance in these finals is reminiscent of the January that helped guide Indiana to a title in 2012.

“I don’t remember a whole lot about the 2012 season other than [Briann January] was playing at a different pace,” White said. “And I kind of go back to that series, because she was playing much like this in that series as well, where she slowed down to make the right reads, and she slowed down enough to understand how to make her teammates better. We always ask her to be great defensively, and when she’s great offensively, our team just plays at a different level.

“She’s really taken her game to another level.”

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