Staff Directory
Natalie Achonwa
- Title:
- General Manager and Assistant Coach
Four-time Canadian Olympian Natalie Achonwa enters her second season with the Michigan women's basketball program in 2025-26, assuming the role of general manager and assistant coach after spending her first season as an assistant coach for player development.Â
With just four returners, five freshmen and three transfers, Michigan did not miss a beat in 2024-25 en route to winning 23 games and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Olivia Olson and Syla Swords became the first freshman teammates in Big Ten history to each score 500 points in the same season, with Olson setting a new freshman program record with 553 points. Fellow freshman Mila Holloway set a new Michigan assists record for a freshman, handing out 148 assists on the season. Olson was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, with her and Swords each earning a spot on the all-freshman team and the Big Ten second team. Michigan's 23 wins is tied for the third-most in program history, with the Wolverines making the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the second straight season.
She served as an assistant coach for the U19 Canada World Cup team in 2025, with Swords and Holloway each competing for Canada at the event.Â
Achonwa competed at the 2024 Olympics for Canada, serving as captain of the national team, alongside Swords. It marked the fourth Olympic appearance for Achonwa, the most ever by a Canadian basketball player. She played in 79 career games for the senior national team, the second-most in Canada women's basketball history. She led Canada to the 2015 FIBA AmeriCup championship -- Canada's first gold medal at the event in 20 years -- and the 2015 Pan American Games championship -- Canada's first-ever gold at the PanAm Games. Achonwa ended her national career ranked first in assists in Canada women's basketball history at the Olympic Games with 43.
After being drafted by the Indiana Fever ninth overall in the 2014 Draft, Achonwa played nine years in the WNBA and six seasons overseas. She played with the Fever from 2015-2020, earning a spot on the 2015 WNBA All-Rookie Team. Achonwa was the recipient of the 2019 WNBA Community Assist Award and the 2020 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award before joining the Minnesota Lynx 2021-2023.
Achonwa also served on the WNBA Players Association Executive Committee for two terms, totaling four years.
A four-year letterwinner at Notre Dame (2011-14), she earned All-America third-team honors by the Associated Press as a senior. Upon graduation, she ranked 12th all-time in scoring (1,546), third in games played (145), fourth in rebounding (970), fifth in double-doubles (28) and sixth in field goal percentage (.562). She graduated from Notre Dame in 2014 with a degree in management-consulting from ND's Mendoza College of Business.
With just four returners, five freshmen and three transfers, Michigan did not miss a beat in 2024-25 en route to winning 23 games and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Olivia Olson and Syla Swords became the first freshman teammates in Big Ten history to each score 500 points in the same season, with Olson setting a new freshman program record with 553 points. Fellow freshman Mila Holloway set a new Michigan assists record for a freshman, handing out 148 assists on the season. Olson was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, with her and Swords each earning a spot on the all-freshman team and the Big Ten second team. Michigan's 23 wins is tied for the third-most in program history, with the Wolverines making the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the second straight season.
She served as an assistant coach for the U19 Canada World Cup team in 2025, with Swords and Holloway each competing for Canada at the event.Â
Achonwa competed at the 2024 Olympics for Canada, serving as captain of the national team, alongside Swords. It marked the fourth Olympic appearance for Achonwa, the most ever by a Canadian basketball player. She played in 79 career games for the senior national team, the second-most in Canada women's basketball history. She led Canada to the 2015 FIBA AmeriCup championship -- Canada's first gold medal at the event in 20 years -- and the 2015 Pan American Games championship -- Canada's first-ever gold at the PanAm Games. Achonwa ended her national career ranked first in assists in Canada women's basketball history at the Olympic Games with 43.
After being drafted by the Indiana Fever ninth overall in the 2014 Draft, Achonwa played nine years in the WNBA and six seasons overseas. She played with the Fever from 2015-2020, earning a spot on the 2015 WNBA All-Rookie Team. Achonwa was the recipient of the 2019 WNBA Community Assist Award and the 2020 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award before joining the Minnesota Lynx 2021-2023.
Achonwa also served on the WNBA Players Association Executive Committee for two terms, totaling four years.
A four-year letterwinner at Notre Dame (2011-14), she earned All-America third-team honors by the Associated Press as a senior. Upon graduation, she ranked 12th all-time in scoring (1,546), third in games played (145), fourth in rebounding (970), fifth in double-doubles (28) and sixth in field goal percentage (.562). She graduated from Notre Dame in 2014 with a degree in management-consulting from ND's Mendoza College of Business.
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