Never has WNBA head coaching been a more tenuous job.
Qualify for the playoffs? That didn’t spare the Atlanta Dream’s Tanisha Wright, the Indiana Fever’s Christie Sides or the Connecticut Sun’s Stephanie White from losing their positions.
Lead a rebuilding team with budding young talent? That didn’t help Curt Miller’s case with the Los Angeles Sparks or Teresa Weatherspoon’s with the Chicago Sky.
Injuries decimate your rotation? The Washington Mystics’ Eric Thibault and Dallas Wings’ Latricia Trammell were casualties, too, despite plenty of key players missing time.
A record seven coaches were let go since the conclusion of the 2024 WNBA season. Only the Fever and Sky have named their new coaches within the last week. The WNBA coaching carousel continues to spin. But from where will the next group of coaches come?
“There is no established pool for the next wave of WNBA head coaches,” said a general manager, who was granted anonymity due to the lack of authority to discuss league matters publicly. “These coaches will come from all over.”
The dearth of WNBA coaching candidates is not because the league doesn’t have strong tacticians or culture builders. Instead, the shallow pool is due to relatively low pay compared to collegiate coaching salaries,…
