Meet Natalie Nakase, a former UCLA women’s basketball standout who’s spending her summer breaking down some of the NBA’s gender barriers. From the New York Times: 

Nakase, the Clippers’ assistant video coordinator, is trying to earn credibility in the coaching profession the same way: by proving her worth. She landed a spot as an assistant coach on the Clippers’ bench during the two-week N.B.A. Summer League here, a first according to the Clippers and a step toward her goal of becoming an N.B.A. coach — something no woman has ever accomplished.

"I don’t want to just coach," Nakase said. "I want to win championships."

There’s only been one woman to coach professional men’s basketball in the United States, Nancy Lieberman, who coached in the NBA’s developmental league in recent years. Read more.