WATCH TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS with Megan Hustwaite weekly on Thursday from 7 pm (AEDT) via , or catch up via .
Sydney-born Mills, the only current female head coach of a men’s national basketball team, has taken the road less travelled to reach her incredible achievements in the game but says it was the only way she could make her dreams a reality.
Last month, Mills led Kenya to a place at the African Championships for the first time since 1993 after the Morans stunned 11-time champions Angola.
It was the culmination of a 16-year coaching career that first started in Sydney before Mills carved out opportunities for herself in Africa which led to being hired as head coach of senior men's club and national teams across the continent.
While proud of what she has done in her career and the hustle required to get there, Mills told TAB Courtside 1v1 host Megan Hustwaite that it most likely would never have happened if she didn’t go abroad.
“I wouldn’t be able to coach the type of teams I have coached here in Africa if I stayed in Australia,” Mills said.
“I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with senior men’s club teams or national teams.
“I love coaching in Africa and that is where I want to coach, but if I was a young woman who dreamed of coaching the Boomers, I highly doubt that would be a possibility in today’s current environment. “
Mills admits it hasn’t been plain sailing to forge her way as a female head coach and says even last month at the African Championships qualifier she was shooed away from the head coaches chair by an official who did not believe a female could hold the position.
She hopes her success can open the door for female coaches.
“There are always those crazy little moments along the journey. You almost want to laugh because if you didn’t laugh you’d cry,” Mills said.
“Yes, it is rare to see a female head coach in men’s international basketball and, for most people, the default is to see a male coach so they don’t know how to react when they see me.
"Initially I laughed it off but as I get older I've decided to pull people up and educate them.
“In my time in Africa, I feel like it has become more accepted having a female coaching a men’s team.
"It goes to show there is no excuse for the rest of the world having any issue with it.”
In the full interview with Hustwaite, Mills reveals the story of her move to Africa, making history with Kenya and speaks out on the dwindling number of female coaches in the WNBL.
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How to watch NBL LIVE on SBS
The interview is part of an SBS series - TAB Courtside 1v1, which gives fans a chance to get to know more about the unique personalities from the NBA, WNBA, NBL and WNBL, which help shape basketball in Australia.
Hustwaite, who has been covering all levels of Australian basketball for the past 13 years as a reporter, commentator and journalist, will helm the weekly show – every Thursday at 7 pm (AEDT) via - where she interviews stars of the past, present and future.
SBS will again broadcast multiple regular-season NBA games per week in HD on SBS VICELAND and streamed live via SBS On Demand. Plus, every game of the upcoming 2020-21 NBL season will be LIVE, FREE and in HD via SBS On Demand, with select games also live on SBS VICELAND.
