Sidney Dobner was elated this summer when the Milwaukee Bucks promoted her to assistant coach – the first woman to hold that post in franchise history. She was shocked when she learned later that she was the only woman among the hundreds of applicants for the position.
“There are 30 [NBA] teams. Everybody wants this job. Why was I the only woman?” Dobner says. “Sometimes you just have to trust yourself and take the leap. The worst thing that can happen is, now they have your phone number and your contact info.”
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Dobner, 32, is a California native and lifelong player of the game, including a pro stint in the Netherlands. She’s been with the franchise since 2018 in a variety of roles, from the G-League developmental team in Oshkosh to the front office to helping out at practices. She performed various duties in the video room, working up to head video coordinator last season.
Video work is like “getting a Ph.D. in basketball,” she says – a dream job for a self-described Xs and Os nut like Dobner. “You learn everything in the video room, the ins and outs of the NBA,” she says. “We assist assistant coaches with getting scout games ready for their scout teams, so they have the video five games before and can create a game plan.”
That will transition smoothly to the new position, where she’s hiring for the video room as well as drawing up plays, particularly for special situations like coming out of timeouts. “That gets written on a whiteboard, and then suddenly you see these men go out there and execute it, exactly as it went through your mind,” she says. “It feels like you scored at that moment. It’s such a cool feeling.”
While she’s focused primarily on the job and helping the Bucks win, being a “first” is always on her mind. “A big thing for me is just staying true to myself,” she says, “and making sure I take my day-to-day approach like some little kid is watching and hoping to grow up to be like me.”
