This story appears in the Sept. 23, 2019, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
Last week, the NBA's reigning champions announced a personnel change: After two seasons as a data analyst for the Raptors, Brittni Donaldson was promoted to an assistant coaching role. Just five years after the Spurs prompted widespread headlines (and much pigheaded skepticism) by hiring ex-WNBA star Becky Hammon as the first female assistant coach in NBA history, coverage of Toronto's move was relatively muted.