The Breeze Found Their Peace With Auntie Noelle Quinn

First of all shoutout to Noelle Quinn. Although she’s not in the WNBA, (unfortunately not) she deserves another opportunity to coach on the biggest stage in the league.

Now more importantly, thank God she got another opportunity to also coach on a large stage in Unrivaled. Now, let me tell you something about Unrivaled, the league is amazing and the vibes can’t be faked in an environment like this. It’s too small. Too loud. Too close. Everybody sees everything. If your team chemistry is fake, it’ll evaporate by the second quarter like a Capri Sun in the Miami sun.

And that’s exactly why we know that Noelle Quinn is having the time of her life coaching a young and hungry Breeze team that literally were a few years removed from playing college basketball. I mean s**t, Dominique Malonga can’t even legally drink yet!

So when Quinn is sitting there sounding like she’s actually having fun, actually connected to the group, actually steering the ship without white-knuckling the wheel, you notice. That’s the time that she’s inherited coaching Rickea Jackson, Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, Kate Martin, Aari McDonald and Dominique Malonga.

 

“It’s been refreshing,” Quinn said. “They respect me, they’re bought in, and this is from day one.”

From day one is crazy. That’s not normal. That’s “the group chat formed instantly” energy.

And she’s honest about who she is too.

“I’m a sore loser,” she said, “but I haven’t sat in it this year because I know that I need to show up a certain way for the group.”

That’s the line. Because some coaches lose and turn into a thunderstorm. Quinn loses and goes, nah, I’m not ruining the energy.

She said she doesn’t try to force her vibe onto them. She reads them.

 

“I just take my cues from them,” Quinn said. “Their energy… I want to… give a positive vibe and really, just give them what they need.”

Then she hit the most perfect self-scout I’ve ever heard from a coach:

 

“I am the auntie.”

Right now Quinn is the Breeze peace, she is their “Hey Auntie.” Quinn described the whole thing like a two-sided highlight reel: one side hoops, one side heart.

“It’s beautiful basketball when they lock in… but it’s also beautiful moments when they’re able to joke around with each other and feed off one another.”

That’s the sauce.

Unrivaled is about talent, sure. But it’s also about who can build something real, fast.

And right now, Noelle Quinn is out here coaching like the cool aunt who still demands you take the trash out.

And somehow it works.

 

“I’m just having a blast here,” she said.

We are too, honestly.