When news broke Monday that the Connecticut Sun had parted ways with coach Stephanie White after two seasons it became clear that something was going on in the WNBA.
In just over a month, seven teams — the Sun, Los Angeles Sparks, Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics — have fired or “parted ways” with their coaches. Four teams (the Mystics, Fever, Dream and the Las Vegas Aces) also parted ways with their GMs during the same period.
The reasons for each fire are not immediately clear; while some teams had struggled during what is largely considered the greatest season in recent WNBA history, others seemed to thrive. Tanisha Wright led the Dream to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024; Christie Sides was credited with getting the Fever out of a terrible start to the season, and seemed to work exceptionally well with new star Caitlin Clark; As a result, the Fever made the playoffs for the first time in almost 10 years.
Other reasons are simpler: Michael Winger is president of Monumental Basketball, which manages the Mystics and the NBA’s Washington Wizards. He and Mystics head coach Eric Thibault were not on the same page about the team’s future, and Winger had previously noted that a restructuring of the team’s leadership was always on the cards – and it’s likely that the end of the season provided the perfect opportunity for that. Eric’s father, Michael Thibault, was also fired from his position as the team’s general manager.
Teams firing and hiring coaches is nothing new, but in a 12-team league, it’s surprising that more than half are looking for new leadership. So why are so many WNBA teams firing their coaches?
The league itself has been quiet on the subject. In general league activities, the coaching staff’s decisions are left up to each team, and requests for comment to both the league and individual teams went unanswered. Money is always an issue, and an inward influx of cash has recently been announced Media rights deal worth $2.2 billion will soon mean that teams can improve in more ways than one – including what they can offer new coaches.
Two teams – the Phoenix Mercury and the Aces – paid their head coaches seven figures in 2024. The new deal could mean that several WNBA head coach salaries will be on par with NBA assistant coach salaries, a change that will inevitably result in hiring collegial employees. coaches, or the league even poaching talent from the NBA.
Besides the money, there are other things happening beneath the surface. The Sky was rumored to be pursuing White prior to The Sun’s announcement, but the team will face the Fever, who could bring White back home to Indiana and give her the opportunity to play one of the most exciting rookies from recent history. The team has also had early discussions with Curt Miller, formerly of the Sparks, and Latricia Trammell, once of the Wings.
Of these options, Trammell is likely a good fit for the Sky: she has previously worked with a team that doesn’t have the highest budget. She is also known as a player-first coachsomething Sky’s roster (including Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter) will appreciate.
The solution could lie in the universities
The teams facing a head coach search also have to deal with the fact that the WNBA does not have a large pool of candidates, which could mean looking at the women’s college rankings. There are no league restrictions on how much a team can pay a coach, and with the right ownership and mentality, almost no one is off the table.
UConn’s Geno Auriemma signed one five-year, $18.7 million contract this year, that includes a clause requiring a $5 million buyout if he goes elsewhere (Seattle isn’t looking yet, but surprisingly, many UConn alumni have ended up with the Storm). Coaches like Kim Mulkey, who signed a 10-year extension that will keep her at LSU through 2033, and WNBA legend Dawn Staley, who signed her own groundbreaking $22.4 million contract with South Carolina in 2021, seem emotionally and financially locked into their teams — but there are plenty of other coaches for WNBA teams to look to. Jeff Walz of Louisville does signed with his team through 2029, boosting his annual salary to $1.7 million per year – a figure that isn’t out of reach for some teams.
Any coach can be bought out of any contract with the right offer, and the opportunity to coach in the best women’s league in the world could be just that. The trajectory and plans of each team’s front office likely won’t become clear until new coaches are hired and their impact is felt, a process that won’t be complete for months. But the journey there is already starting to take shape, making this one of the most unpredictable offseasons in years.
It appears WNBA owners are (finally) taking their teams more seriously, and the hunt for new coaches reflects a new reality that comes with a surge of money and fans. With three (possibly four) expansion teams on the horizon, now is the time for new energy – and these teams certainly seem aware of that.