EG Potter becomes first female coach to win major esports championship
Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesEvil Geniuses’ Valorant team has defied expectations again and again through 2023, and they’ve managed to take the world title at Valorant Champions 2023. On top of their international win, Potter has become the first female coach to win a major esports championship.
Evil Geniuses had a rough start to their year. During the Valorant Americas regular season, they seemed to be one of the worst teams in the region, and they just barely scraped their way into qualifying for Masters Tokyo before almost winning the entire thing.
That rough start has made their journey to the top all the more satisfying for fans of the team from North America and all around the world.
And, though their taking an international title at Valorant Champions 2023 is newsworthy enough as it is, coach Christine ‘Potter’ Chi has cemented herself as the first female coach to win a major esports championship.
EG Valorant coach Potter makes esports history
Traditionally, coaches in esports aren’t viewed as major members of the team. Though their impact on a team is undeniable, they’re often relegated to preparing the team for the match ahead and figuring out what they need to fix once the game is over.
Valorant, however, sees coaches playing a major role in the way teams function. Coaches have their own cam, the ability to call pauses, and a very tangible impact on the game. Especially in the case of Potter.
Her impact was incredibly noticeable, with the pauses she called almost always resulting in a massive turnaround for the team.
Potter was emotional following EG’s win, commending every player and deservedly calling them the absolute best in the world.
Through her very active and effective coaching style, Potter has built up a fandom around herself as EG’s 6th player that no other coach in esports has been able to replicate.
It’s worth mentioning that the Game Changers League has a ton of high-level competitors, as well as the FGC having dozens of strong female competitors like Claire ‘UMISHO’ Harrison, who took home the EVO 2022 trophy in Guilty Gear Strive.
However, when it comes to major franchised esports leagues, Potter is the very first. And, while it’s fantastic that there’s been a massive effort in recent years to get women more involved in esports, victories like Potter’s are an essential part of breaking down those barriers and giving women some of the spotlight on the biggest stages in esports.
