Countless players have been dubbed “the next Michael Jordan“—from LeBron James and Anthony Edwards to Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose. A few have indeed come close to the GOAT’s legacy. WNBA legend Seimone Augustus is among the few to earn this lofty comparison, yet it’s not the Jordan label that brings her joy. For Augustus, the true source of fulfillment lies in something much deeper.

According to a recent episode of the podcast In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams, Seimone Augustus, a 4x WNBA champion and 8x All-Star, shared her thoughts on that monumental 1999 “Sports Illustrated for Women” cover, where she was heralded as the next Michael Jordan.

“I was blown away because I didn’t have any idea that I was going to even be on the cover,” Augustus reflected. “The only thing that I knew was that Chamique Holdsclaw was going to be there. At that time, Tennessee was popping, and I was just excited to meet one of my favorite players. I’m like, Chamique Holdsclaw, I’m coming to the shoot. I’m just excited to meet, you know, one of my favorite players— and not knowing that particular moment would change my life.”

Back in 1999, SI listed the fifty greatest sports figures from the Big Apple. Amongst all the New Yorkers, Holdsclaw stood at 47 for her 4 high school championships, not bad for a newcomer indeed.

Chamique Holdsclaw, the inspiration for Augustus at the time, was a trailblazer in her own right. She was inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. A former standout for the Los Angeles Sparks and Atlanta Dream, Holdsclaw’s legacy left a deep impact on upcoming players like Augustus.

From court icon to coaching mentor: Seimone Augustus at LSU

Augustus’ influence on the game has since evolved, leading her to embrace a new role on the court: coaching. This new role started with a brief stint as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2021 and 2022. The WNBA champ however took a brief break from coaching in 2023 only to return in May 2024 as an assistant coach to her alma mater, Louisiana State University, to join Kim Mulkey’s staff.

A Hall of Famer herself, Mulkey was more than happy to share her excitement for the new joinee, “Seimone helped transform the program as the best player in the nation. Her expertise in the game will benefit our team and allow our players the opportunity to learn from a Hall of Famer who has exhibited great class throughout her entire career.”

Mulkely, who always had an eye for Siemone, was very direct with her proposal recounted Augustus in her podcast interview, “You know, if you know Mulkey, she’s straight to the point,“. The Hall of Famer explained that Coach Mulkey directly expressed her interest, telling her that she had a coaching vacancy and would love for Augustus to join her staff.

The hiring process took a few weeks, involving the typical interview discussions. For Augustus, the most valuable aspect was the opportunity to gain experience and learn from a coach of Mulkey’s caliber, one of the most successful in NCAA history. She saw it as the ideal chance for a young coach to build her skills under the guidance of a proven mentor.

Now back at LSU, Seimone Augustus isn’t just a celebrated alum returning home—she’s an inspiration for the next generation of athletes. One that has time and again shown that true greatness is about lifting others to achieve greatness beyond limits.