At Lynx Media Day, our Kyle Ratke sat down with Carrie Barren of Eagan, who is the Timberwolves/Lynx representative for Jr. NBA/WNBA Coach of the Year. Berran has reached the semi-final round of eight coaches.
Kyle Ratke: What does the Jr. NBA/WNBA Coach of the Year honor mean for you?
Carrie Berran: “It’s pretty amazing actually. It’s something I started doing when I was in high school and now I am coaching my own kids, which is pretty neat. And to have a family nominate me for this honor, it’s almost beyond words. When I found out I was nominated, I immediately started crying and shaking. It’s just awesome, it’s pretty cool. I’m loving it.”
KR: What is it about coaching that hooked you right away?
CR: “Just seeing those kids out on the court and feeling confident, learning a new skill and bringing that out to the game. You just see their self-esteem increase. I like to be a part of that and help those kids feel good about themselves and not only feel good about themselves on the court, but also feel good off the court and in other parts of their life.”
KR: That’s kind of the most important thing. On the court, basketball is great and it’s a game, but you want that to translate to things off the court, right?
CR: “It’s an avenue to help them in life and all other aspects of their life. Gets a lot of practice and those lessons that are taught are the lessons that are awesome and how to navigate through on the court I really think helps you navigate in life.”
KR: For you to be here at Lynx media day, what’s this moment like for you?
CR: “I’m like a kid in a candy store right now, this is amazing. This is pretty much my dream day, to be here and be a part of this and see it all and to see these amazing women, coaches and the staff that is here supporting them. This is truly a day I will not forget.”
The final stage of voting for the Jr. NBA/WNBA Coach of the Year consists of votes from a national panel and fan votes via Twitter.
To vote for Barren, use the hashtag #JrNBACOYMIN. Both tweets and retweets will count as a vote.
Fan voting will be open on Twitter only until 11:59 ET on May 22. There is no limit on the amount of times users can vote per day.
The final round will consist of three coaches and they will make an appearance at the 2017 NBA Awards Show in New York on June 26.