Unable to work with players while she was stuck at home during the pandemic, Brittni Donaldson reflected on how she could become a better coach.
Donaldson, then an assistant with the Toronto Raptors, became intrigued by learning and cognitive science. She read books on the topics, turned to coaches across various sports for advice and looked at pedagogical frameworks to understand how professors and teachers teach their students.
This research now drives Donaldson’s work as an assistant coach with the Hawks.
“It’s not about what we know as coaches,” Donaldson said. “It’s about what our players know at the end of the day. (It’s about) shortening that gap between what we know and they know, and finding ways to teach things in a more efficient and effective way.”
Donaldson, who the Hawks hired in June 2023, was known for her developmental and analytical skills in previous stops in Toronto and Detroit. Those still are part of her role with the Hawks, but figure into a variety of duties that include scouting and planning practice.
Donaldson studied statistics and played basketball at Northern Iowa from 2011-15, dreaming of competing professionally. A series of knee operations derailed that plan, and Donaldson soon realized her degree could provide an “analytics side door” into working in the NBA.
Crunching the numbers has played an important role in Donaldson’s career. In recent seasons, she has paired that with an emphasis on teaching.
Forward Saddiq Bey said Donaldson helps break down what statistics mean for their play.
“The numbers don’t tell you everything, but neither does not knowing the numbers,” Bey said. “It’s great for her to be able to balance both for the entire team to know what we’re doing well, what we need to improve on and what numbers are telling the story.”
Bey and Donaldson overlapped in Detroit, though they didn’t work together there. When Bey learned she was coming to Atlanta, he said he wanted to make her feel welcome. Now, they often work one-on-one during practice and before games.
He said she connects small aspects of play, such as certain movements, to numbers.
“It helps me think about the game like, ‘Oh, if I do this better on defense, I can help our team,’” Bey said.
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Coach Quin Snyder said Donaldson’s background in player development, analytics and business creation stood out. But he said he wanted her with the Hawks primarily because she’s a coach with an “elite” perspective and tactical knowledge of the game.
She’s also skilled at understanding how numbers apply to the Hawks’ play, Snyder said. Drill creation is one way she does this. Snyder noted a drill she invented in early November that helped the Hawks with contested shots as a group.
Donaldson said inventing drills is one of her “favorite pastimes,” focusing on creations that match what players do each game and help build confidence. She develops new drills before practice, but keeps an eye out and jots down any adjustments that need to be made.
“It could be with shooting,” Donaldson said. “It could be as simple as catching the ball from the left side versus the right side. Maybe (players) have a deficiency with one side versus the other and you need to work on catching the ball from this way more. Little things like that, we’re always trying to search for.”
This careful approach is part of a broader attitude of intentionality that Donaldson and the Hawks’ coaching staff embrace. It appears in several ways, Donaldson said, such as getting to know players beyond the stat sheet and curating player-specific plans.
Her intentionality also is central to planning practice — a skill she said she’s honed recently as she’s built confidence and researched the subject. There’s a lot on her mind when structuring practice, she said, such as making decisions about the competitive and defensive aspects of drills and ensuring practice ties into their “points of emphasis” for players.
Donaldson’s interests in cognitive and learning science come into play as she plans practices and implements new drills. She feels using the right teaching tools frequently can be a competitive advantage for the Hawks.
One tactic the Hawks have implemented: using a shared vocabulary when providing feedback so players can understand coaches faster.
“Instead of having eight different words for one thing, we all use the same word,” Donaldson said. “It’s a simple tactic you can use as far as teaching and retention.”
Beyond her emphasis on learning science, Donaldson’s playing experience also informs her pedagogy. She understands how sports can “seep into your real life” after her four knee operations in college, and feels that perspective helps her empathize with players.
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Hawks forward AJ Griffin said he worked with Donaldson during summer league. She’s a vocal teacher, which he feels comes from her playing experience.
“A point guard’s usually the team general,” Griffin said. “I can see how that carries over to our coaching staff, how she’s able to point out things and bring life to the drill.”
Although it’s been years since Donaldson discovered her interest in learning science, other basketball coaches and leaders have been slow to follow. She said she hasn’t noticed the approach among other NBA teams or even youth programs.
Donaldson said the focus at coaches’ clinics often is on the “X’s and O’s” such as how to beat a zone press — never how to become a better teacher. Now, whenever she’s asked to speak at clinics, she jumps at the chance to tell others about learning science.
She’s not discouraged that the subject is untapped, but excited for what more can be discovered. Donaldson has brought this mindset to Atlanta and taught her fellow coaches about it as well — and from players’ perspectives, it seems to be working.
“She’s vocal and assertive in everything she does,” Griffin said. “That was the biggest thing that stuck out to me: her knowing the game. A lot of players see how she loves the game.”
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