Liz Mills

Last updated

Liz Mills
Bangui Sporting Club
Position Head coach
League BAL
Personal information
Born Sydney, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Coaching career2002–present
Career history
As coach:
2002–2011 Northern Suburbs Basketball Association
2011–2013 Heroes Play United
2012 Zambia National University Team
2015–2016 Matero Magic
2017 Zambia men's national team (assistant)
2018 Cameroon men's national team (assistant)
2019 Patriots
2021 Kenya men's national team
2022 AS Salé
2022–2023 ABC Fighters
2023–2024 Bangui Sporting Club

Liz Mills is an Australian basketball coach who, since 2011, has coached elite level men's club and national basketball teams in Africa. Mills is the former head coach of Bangui Sporting Club for the 2023 Road to BAL (Basketball Africa League). [1]

Contents

Mills is the first female basketball head coach to lead a men's national team at a FIBA continental championship, as well as the first-ever female head coach in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) after debuting in 2022. She is also the first female head coach of a men's club team in Morocco, and subsequently in North Africa and the Middle East. [2]

Mills began her coaching career in Sydney, in 2002 working with junior boys and girls teams, as well as senior women's teams. Since 2011, Mills has been a head coach and assistant coach in Africa of senior men's club teams, national men's university teams and national men's teams. [3]

In 2021, Mills was the head coach of the Kenyan men's national team, becoming the only woman in the world at that time in charge of a men's national team not only in basketball but in any major sport. [4] [5] She is the first and only female head coach in a men's continental championship (Afrobasket) since the International Basketball Federation FIBA was founded in 1932, when she coached Kenya at AfroBasket 2021. [6]

Coaching career

Mills began her basketball coaching career in Sydney, Australia in 2002 whilst still in high school (Willoughby Girls High). She has coached junior boys and girls club teams, as well as representative girls teams for Northern Suburbs Basketball Association (NSBA), a representative club in North Sydney, Australia. Prior to relocating to Africa she has coached a senior women's representative team for NSBA. [3]

Whilst in Australia she completed an undergraduate degree in Sports Science and Sports Management (2008) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and in 2014 completed a Masters of Education in Sports Coaching at the University of Sydney (USYD). [7]

Prior to 2011, Mills had never coached men. [4] Mills started her coaching career in Africa in Zambia, where she was the head coach for Zambia's senior men's national league team Heroes Play United. Heroes went on to win the 2011/2012 national title, the first time the team had won in 8 years. She also coached the team the following season. [6] She went on to win another national title in Zambia's senior men's league in 2015/2016 as head coach of team Matero Magic. Whilst coaching in Zambia, Mills was also named as head coach for the Zambian men's National University Team. This team competed in the 2012 CUCSA Zone VI University Games, finishing second and competed in All Africa University Games (FASU) later that year where the team finished third.

At the club level, Mills worked with the Rwandan division 1 men's club team Patriots BBC for the 2019 Basketball Africa League Qualifiers. She led the team to the East Division Qualification Title, with the team going undefeated in the two rounds of qualifiers. The team went on to compete in the 2021 Basketball Africa League. [8]

Having served as assistant coach of the Zambia men's national team for the 2017 Afrobasket Zone VI qualifiers and Cameroon men's basketball teams for 2019 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers, Mills joined the Kenyan Morans as head coach in January 2021. [9] She steered Kenya to qualifying for their first AfroBasket championship in 28 years, after beating 11-time African champions Angola 74-73 in Cameroon in February 2021 at the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers. [6] [9] Previously Kenya had never beaten Angola. As head coach of the Morans at the 2021 FIBA Afrobasket Mills led Kenya to a 1-3 record. Kenya defeated Mali to pick up their first win at an AfroBasket and for the first time progressed past the first round group stage.[ citation needed ]

Basketball Africa League (2022–present)

On 12 February 2022, she was announced as head coach of AS Salé a club in the Division Excellence, the top professional men's league in Morocco. Mills was the first female head coach of men's team in Morocco and the Arab world, In March 2022, Mills became the first female head coach of a men's team in the Basketball Africa League. [10] She left the team in May to pursue coaching opportunities with national teams in Africa. [11] On 4 September 2023 Coach Mills was named as the head coach of Bangui Sporting Club for the upcoming 2024 Road to BAL. [12] Road to BAL are the qualifiers for the 2024 Basketball Africa League.[ citation needed ]

On 2 December 2022, Mills signed for Ivorian team ABC Fighters, who earlier qualified for the 2023 BAL season. [13] In their first appearance in the BAL, Mills lead the team to the playoffs, where they fell to Angolan club team Petro de Luanda in the quarter finals. [14]

On 4 September 2023 Mills was announced as the head coach of Central African Republic club team Bangui Sporting Club for the upcoming 2024 Road to BAL. [1] The Road to BAL is the qualifiers for the 2024 BAL season. On 5 November, Bangui Sporting Club won the Road to BAL Western Conference Finals and qualified for the 2024 BAL season. [15] Mills declined to re-sign with Bangui Sporting Club for the 2024 Basketball Africa League due to the non-payment of her salary and bonus for the second round of the 2023 Road to BAL [16] .

Personal

Mills grew up in Sydney with a passion for coaching basketball since an early age. [6] She and her identical twin sister, Vik, [4] grew up playing multiple sports such as netball, tennis, athletics and swimming. With Vik, she started playing basketball at the age of 15. They played club and representative basketball for Northern Suburbs Basketball Association at both the junior and senior level. Mills took her first basketball coaching position at age 16, [4] on many occasions co-coaching with her sister Vik.[ citation needed ]

Head coaching record

BAL

Legend
Regular seasonGGames coachedWGames wonLGames lostW–L %Win–loss %
PlayoffsPGPlayoff gamesPWPlayoff winsPLPlayoff lossesPW–L %Playoff win–loss %
TeamYearGWLW–L%FinishPGPWPLPW–L%Result
AS Salé 2022 532.6003rd in Sahara Conference 101.000Lost in Quarterfinals
ABC Fighters 2023 532.6004th in Sahara Conference 101.000Lost in Quarterfinals

Global Women In Basketball Coaching Network

In August 2022 Mills launched the Global Women In Basketball Coaching Network via Facebook. Co-founded with her twin sister Vic, the network is the first international network for female basketball coaches. The mission of the network is to connect female coaches from around the world on a platform where they can engage, empower, and elevate each other to success. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenya men's national basketball team</span>

Kenya national basketball team is the national men basketball team in Kenya. It is operated by the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Gasana</span> Rwandan basketball player

Kenneth Gasana is a Rwandan professional basketball player who currently plays for Bangui Sporting Club of the Road to BAL. Born in the United States, he represents Rwanda internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Kouguère</span> Central African basketball player

Max Martial Kouguère is a Central African professional basketball player who currently plays for Bangui Sporting Club. He is a member of the Central African Republic national basketball team.

Mohamed Adel Tlatli is a Tunisian professional basketball coach. He is the current head coach of US Monastir of the Championnat Pro A and the Basketball Africa League (BAL). He is a six-time national champion and a three-time national cup winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AS Salé (basketball)</span> Moroccan basketball club

Association Sportive Salé, commonly known as AS Salé, is a Moroccan basketball club from Salé. The club competes in the Division Excellence. Notable players of the team include senior men's Moroccan national basketball team members Abderrahim Najah, Zakaria El Masbahi and Soufiane Kourdou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">REG BBC</span> Basketball team in Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda Energy Group BBC, commonly known as REG, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. It is owned and named after the company Rwanda Energy Group Limited. It plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the highest tier of basketball in Rwanda. REG has won the national championship thrice, in 2017, 2021 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABC Fighters</span> Basketball team in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Abidjan Basket Club Fighters, commonly known as ABC Fighters, is an Ivorian basketball club based in the city of Abidjan. Founded in 1997, the team is the most successful men teams in the country, with 19 national championships won, and one continental FIBA Africa Champions Cup in 2005. The home arena of the team is the Palais des Sports de Treichville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AS Police (basketball, Mali)</span> Malinese basketball club

Association Sportive Police, commonly known as AS Police, is a basketball club based in Bamako, Mali. The team plays in the Ligue 1. The roster mainly consists of civilians from N'Tomikorobougou, a neighborhood in Bamako, and police officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenya Ports Authority (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Mombasa, Kenya

Kenya Ports Authority, commonly known as KPA, is a basketball club based in Mombasa, Kenya. Owned by the Kenya Ports Authority corporation, the team has competed in the KBF Premier League since first qualifying in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobra Sport</span> Basketball team in Juba, South Sudan

Cobra Sports Club, commonly known as Cobra Sport, are a South Sudanese basketball team based in Juba, South Sudan. The team was established in 2017 and plays in the Central Equatoria State Basketball Association (CESBA). Cobra has won three national championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clube Ferroviário da Beira (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Beira, Mozambique

Clube Ferroviário da Beira is a basketball club from Beira, Mozambique. The team plays in the national Mozambican Basketball League (LMB) and has won the national championship five times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 BAL season</span> 2nd season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2022 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 2, was the second season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season began on 2 March 2022 and ended with the Finals on 28 May 2022. The group phase was played in the Dakar Arena in Dakar and the Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall in Cairo. The playoffs and finals were played in the BK Arena in Kigali for a second year in a row.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 BAL finals</span> Basketball game

The 2021 BAL Finals was the championship game of the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The final was played in the Kigali Arena in Kigali on 30 May 2021. The game was played between Egyptian club Zamalek and Tunisian club US Monastir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Town Tigers</span> South African basketball club

The Cape Town Tigers are a South African basketball team founded in Cape Town. The Tigers play in the Basketball National League (BNL) and the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matero Magic</span> Basketball team in Lusaka, Zambia

The Matero Magic are a Zambian Professional basketball club from the Matero neighbourhood of Lusaka. Nicknamed the "Tamanga Boys", the team plays in the Zambia Basketball League and has won the championship a record 12 times. The Magic features many players who are also part of the Zambia national team.

Evans Ganapamo is a French-Central African professional basketball player for Bangui Sporting Club. He played college basketball at the University of New Orleans and Prairie View A&M University. Internationally, Ganapamo represents the Central African Republic national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangui Sporting Club</span> Basketball team in Bangui, Central African Republic

Bangui Sporting Club, also known as Bangui SC, is a Central African basketball team based in Bangui. The team plays in the Bangui Basketball League (LBBB) and has won the championship in 2022 and 2023. In the 2024 season, Bangui will play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL), as the first team from the Central African Republic in the competition.

Thierry Serge Darlan is a Central African professional basketball player who last played for Bangui Sporting Club of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). He is a graduate of the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal. Darlan also plays for the Central African Republic national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 BAL season</span> 4th season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2024 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 4, will be the 4th season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season began on 9 March 2024 and will finish with the final on 1 June 2024, which will be played in the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda for a fourth consecutive season.

The 2023–24 season of Bangui Sporting Club marks the debut season of the team in the Basketball Africa League (BAL), following their successful qualification through the Road to BAL. Bangui SC becomes the first team from the Central African Republic to play in the competition.

References

  1. 1 2 "Basketball Africa League : Coach Liz Mills dirigera le Bangui Sporting Club lors des qualifications".
  2. ↑ "How Liz Mills became the BAL's first woman coach". NBA.com .
  3. 1 2 "Fastbreaksa: Dropping Dimes with Coach Liz Mills on Apple Podcasts".
  4. 1 2 3 4 Liz Mills Takes Big Step for Female Basketball Coaches Gerald Imray (U.S. News & World Report), 19 March 2021. Accessed 31 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Liz Mills trailblazing for more female coaches in men's basketball". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Australian coach blazes a trail for women in African basketball France 24, 24 August 2021. Accessed 31 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Basketball 1sts with Head Coach Liz Mills → She Speaks Sport". 30 June 2023.
  8. ↑ "Patriots BBC at the Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L 2020 2019".
  9. 1 2 "Kenya coach Liz Mills opens the door wide for women".
  10. ↑ "Coach Mills Is Ready for the Show". AS Salé Basketball. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Mills to leave AS Sale for national team after BAL exit ]". ESPN.com. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Australian Coach Liz Mills Joins Bangui Sporting Club for 2024 Basketball Africa League Qualifiers". 5 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Sikubwabo, Damas (2 December 2022). "Liz Mills joins Ivory Coast's ABC ahead of BAL 2023". The New Times. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Petro remain unbeaten, join AS Douanes in BAL semis". 21 May 2023.
  15. ↑ "Bangui win West Division Elite 16".
  16. ↑ https://www.espn.com.au/espn/story/_/id/39974748/bangui-lose-second-head-coach-bal-campaign-gets-rocky-start
  17. ↑ "Liz Mills' legacy continues to grow with creation of female coaching network".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.