Raptors 905 are adding Tamara Tatham to head coach Jama Mahlalela’s staff, according to a report from Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Tatham will become the first Canadian woman to work on the staff of a men’s professional team and joins former Brock University head coach Charles Kissi as CanCon additions to the 905 bench.
A former Canadian Olympian with the 2012 and 2016 senior women’s national teams, Tatham is one of the most decorated women in Canadian basketball over the last decade. She leveraged a strong high school career in Brampton into an offer at the University of Massachusetts, then spent time professionally in Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Australia, and France. At different times, she was named All-German DBBL Player of the Year, DBBL Defensive Player of the Year, All-German DBBL First Team (three times), and Slovakian Extraliga Player of the Year. In addition to her two Olympic appearances, Tatham also represented Canada at the 2010 and 2014 World Championships and a number of other international events.
Last year, Tatham made the transition to coaching, joining the University of Toronto as an assistant coach on the women’s side. Now 32, her jump to the professional ranks continues a heavy Raptors focus on continuing to help breed Canadian coaching talent and will mark the third season in a row in which a woman is a part of the team’s staff.
