Alex Sarama from Basketball Immersion to the WNBA (EP429)

Before becoming the head coach of the Portland Fire, Alex Sarama was a Basketball Immersion member learning, questioning, and exploring a games approach to coaching with Basketball Immersion founder Chris Oliver.

In this revisited 2018 episode of The Basketball Podcast, Alex asks Chris deep questions about:

• Constraint-led coaching
• Ecological dynamics
• Small-sided games
• Decision-making in basketball
• Why “1-on-0” drills often fail to transfer
• How to create more game-like practices
• Why “if you don’t have a defender, you don’t have a decision”

At the time, Alex Sarama was working with NBA Basketball Operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa while studying progressive player development systems around the world.

Years later, many of the concepts explored in this conversation would become foundational to the coaching philosophy Alex now applies as a WNBA head coach.

This episode is a testament to the power of mentorship, coaching curiosity, and the Basketball Immersion community led by Chris Oliver.