After a historic WNBA season, eight head teaching vacancies opened up throughout the league: the Golden State Valkyries wanted their franchise’s first-ever coach, whereas the Indiana Fever, Connecticut Solar, Dallas Wings, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, Los Angeles Sparks, and Chicago Sky all parted methods with their 2024 coaches and have been thus on the hunt as properly.
5 of the eight vacancies have already been crammed. The Fever employed Stephanie White after her two-year Solar tenure. The Dream and the Sparks recognized NCAA expertise, hiring Karl Smesko and Lynne Roberts, respectively. The Valkyries and Sky snagged skilled assistants from the Las Vegas Aces, hiring Natalie Nakase and Tyler Marsh.
However, three groups nonetheless want to search out head coaches: the Washington Mystics, Connecticut Solar, and Dallas Wings. That’s notable as a result of groups must submit their six protected gamers to the Golden State Valkyries this week. The WNBA will maintain an growth draft for the Valkyries on December sixth. After that, the subsequent large date is the WNBA Draft, which is slated for mid-April.
Washington Mystics
The Mystics presently have vacancies in two key management positions: they’re on the hunt for each a head coach and a common supervisor. Washington, recent off of a 14-26 season, parted methods with common supervisor Mike Thibault and his son, head coach Eric Thibault.
The Mystics are owned by Monumental Sports activities, who additionally personal the NBA’s Wizards and the NHL’s Capitals. Michael Winger controls each the Mystics and the Wizards as a part of his position as Monumental’s president of basketball, and Winger reportedly plans on taking up a bigger position with the Mystic’s operations shifting ahead. The truth that the Wings and Mystics have the identical individual in cost is totally different from different NBA/WNBA staff’s possession construction.
Dallas Wings
The Wings have a brand new common supervisor, Curt Miller, and the No. 1 decide within the 2025 draft. However, they’re nonetheless on the hunt for a brand new head coach after letting go of Latricia Trammell after two seasons on the helm.
Miller has said that successful the draft lottery ought to assist them in that pursuit.
“For somebody like myself who’s simply began the pinnacle teaching search, what a chance to be out speaking to go teaching candidates to take over the Dallas Wings teaching job, realizing that we’ve the upcoming No. 1 decide,” Miller instructed reporters quickly after the Wings received the lottery.
Connecticut Solar
Stephanie White left the Solar after two successful seasons that noticed the Solar come shut to WNBA Finals appearances — however nonetheless be eradicated within the semi-finals in consecutive years. White would be the head coach of the Indiana Fever subsequent season.
Solar President Jen Rizzotti instructed the Connecticut Insider’s Maggie Vanoni that she want to discover a head coach who might be with the group year-round.
“I ideally would love to search out somebody who’s dedicated to Connecticut, the group, the in-season, low season dedication, 12 months out of the yr,” Rizzotti stated. “We haven’t had that. We most likely haven’t all the time wanted that, however going ahead, it’s most likely one thing that’s going to be actually vital for lots of franchises.”
Rizzotti additionally pointed to the truth that the Solar have been a secure group lately.
“I feel lots of coaches are in search of a way of safety, proper, and a way of general assist,” Rizzotti stated. “And you may’t deny that the Connecticut Solar group during the last 20 years has been very robust and safe. There’s not been lots of turmoil.”
