It’s a success story as we like them in the United States. A Lambda player who became a WNBA coach was rewarded with the MVP and then the Champion Trophy. And this is the story of an American naturalized Frenchman. She is of James Wade, the husband of former international Edvij Lawson.

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James Wade is signed with Chicago Sky as general manager and head coach until the end of the 2024–2025 season. A deserving extension with their Coach of the Year trophy in 2019 and their championship title in 2021 with a franchise they had never won till then and were content with a final. The Sky took everyone by surprise as their regular season record was barely up; He then won 8 of his 10 playoff matches. James “Coco” Wade also won the EuroLeague in 2018 with UMMC Ekaterinburg as an assistant coach.

“James has done an excellent job of establishing a winning team environment, culture and camaraderie.” Sky owner Michael Alter said. “He is an excellent teacher and coach, on and off the pitch. This well-deserved expansion represents continuity for our team and we are proud to have James leading us on. , Such is her notoriety in the United States that she joined Team USA’s staff in February as an assistant on the women’s team.

James Wade came out of nowhere. Or rather from France where he spent a good part of his playing career. A minor playwright, he spent two seasons in various minor leagues, Newcastle Eagles (United Kingdom), Cambrai in N3, then Samara (Russian Superleague B), Castro (Spanish LEB 2), Alicante (LEB Spanish Gold), Lebem . Czech Republic), Nivelles (Belgium D2), and finally in France, in Carquefou (N2), Vitré (N2), Golbey-Épinal (N1) and Castelnau-le-Lez (N3). The Memphis native began his coaching journey in 2012 as an intern with the San Antonio Stars, where he moved on to the following year as an assistant coach, a role he held before becoming head coach at the Minnesota Lynx in 2017 . Two years later.

The meeting that changed everything in James Wade’s career and life was with Edwij Lawson, a Breton who won two Euroleagues with Valenciennes and one with Samara, a silver medal at the London Games, who was European champion in 2001, twice. Silver, once bronze, WNBA finalist with San Antonio. It was she who, in a way, put her husband’s foot in the stirrup, which acted as a spark. She was then…