Just don't call her Ma'am

Coach Liz Mills has put Kenya on the world basketball map with the astonishing qualification for the upcoming Afrobasket. These days, she's a sought-after figure for media outlets around the world. This week, Liz spoke to Serbian sports television channel Sport Klub about her experiences in Africa, her pride in Kenyan team spirit, and how she handles herself as a female coach in the men's game.

"I've been embraced by Africa. I'm proud that Kenya is the first country with a female head coach. People have backward ideas regarding Africa, so I'm happy that it happened there and that it was Kenya who's done this."

Seeing a woman coach a men's team may have been a novelty for a while, but not anymore. The fantastic Liz Mills has come such a long way in terms of professional development and distance. It's a long way from Australia to Kenya. The road for Kenya to Afrobasket for an even longer one. But she's gone the distance.

After nearly seven years in Zambia, Liz gained experience and knowledge of African basketball. And even though most men never had a female coach barking out orders at them, they quickly adjusted and accepted the simple fact that she was just a coach and that her gender wouldn't make much difference.

Two years ago, she embarked on changing the Kenya national team's mindset and introduced many new aspects to the team's preparations and tactics.

"When I arrived to Kenya's first game against Senegal, I was virtually unknown. An official came to me and said: 'This spot is for the head coach'. They thought my assistant was the head coach and that I was the assistant. She was shocked. Of course, she apologized later and it was fine. I've built a reputation by now, so situations like that don't happen quite as often these days, but it was a bit different in the beginning. I'm glad I'm changing mindsets and making people realize that, yes, I am a woman, and I am the head coach of a men's team."

She's been a part of African basketball for a decade now, and she knows what she's talking about. No barrier could keep her from reaching her goal – coaching a men's national team at Afrobasket. Before she opened the tournament's door for the Kenya Morans, Liz had to make a few things straight with her team. One of them is making sure no player ever addresses her with "ma'am".

"Ah, that word makes me feel as if I'm 80 years old. The players either call me "coach" or "Coach Liz". The ones who call me "ma'am" learn very quickly that I don't respond to that. And if they do it again – it time for push-ups or a lot of running. So, they all learn pretty quickly that the word "ma'am" is not to be used."

History as Morans reach Afrobasket championships after 28 year hiatus

The monumental 74-73 win over Angola is going to be remembered for a long time.

"The day earlier, we lost to Senegal despite playing excellent basketball for 25 minutes. We felt encouraged by that game, and we kept believing. That morning we knew we could win it. We thought it was going to be a good day. There were no nerves. We were prepared and relaxed. Angola underestimated us somewhat, and that did help. Reaching Afrobasket after 28 years was fantastic, but the fact we overcame Angola to get there was like a cherry on the top."

It was a nerve-racking ending to the game, but the team kept their nerve when it mattered, and Mills was there to say the right words.

"I called time-out around five minutes before the end. We were down by four points. I convinced the players that we've had Angola rattled and that we would create history if we continue to push them. Angola hit a three-pointer and were pretty sure that they'd wrapped the game up. But we trusted Tyler Ongwae to take the last shot - and the rest is history."

Since that fantastic day in Yaoundé, Liz has returned to Australia to recharge her batteries and get ready for new challenges with Morans. As always, Coach Liz is full of pride in her career and the impact she's made on the game in Africa. Team spirit has played a significant role in the wins, and African culture has become an integral part of her way of thinking.

The concept of Ubuntu is a sound foundation for any successful unit. Humanity, respect and working for each other is the basis of everything the Morans do.

"It's a simple principle of "I am because we are" and "I can only be all I can be if you are all you can be". For Kenya, it's all about team-first mentality. It means playing for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back. That's rare among national teams where there are usually big egos. But these guys in Kenya are willing to make sacrifices. They support each other, and you can see that when you see the team play. We're doing everything for the team."

Coach Liz isn't the one to make long speeches to her team. To her, it's much more important to be short and to the point. But before she enters the changing room, it's important to knock on the door.

"These guys aren't exactly shy, so I have to knock on the changing room's door before entering. But they are such good guys, everyone knows what's appropriate and what's not, so there's never been an incident. The guys wait for me to get out, and then they change and get ready."

Apart from making history with Kenya Morans, Coach Liz is recognized for wearing her high leather boots.

"The boots have been my trademark ever since my days in Zambia. I wanted to look professional like the coaches I grew up watching. They always dressed up nicely, and I liked it. Besides, I'm working with tall guys and needed to add a few inches and not be so small! But, joking aside, it's also a way to show that I'm proud to be a woman. The boots are a nice reminder that, yes, I am a coach, but I'm also a proud woman. It's a feminine touch."

She’s a proud woman, she’s a female head coach. But anyone who has worked with her know that, above all, she is an ambitious person who strives to improve in everything she does. May Kenya Morans continue to prosper thanks to the remarkable Coach Liz!