The long WNBA offseason has officially begun, and there will be more activity than usual this winter. Not only because of the upcoming expansion draft to fill out the Golden State Valkyries' roster, but due to the unusual number of coaching changes.
After the Washington Mystics parted ways with Eric Thibault (and general manager Mike Thibault) on Wednesday, five of the league's 13 teams do not have a coach: the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, Los Angeles Sparks and Mystics. It's no surprise that those were the five worst teams in the league this season.
There are also questions about the future of Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White and Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides, so more moves could be on the way in the coming weeks.
WNBA coaching tracker
| Team | 2024 record | Previous coach | Current coach |
|---|---|---|---|
Dream | 15-25 | -- | |
Sky | 13-27 | Teresa Weatherspoon | -- |
Wings | 9-31 | Latricia Trammell | -- |
Sparks | 8-32 | Curt Miller | -- |
Mystics | 14-26 | Eric Thibault | -- |
When the Dream hired Tanisha Wright in 2021, they were in desperate need of a leader who could help professionalize the operation. That's exactly what Wright did, as she turned the Dream into a tough defensive bunch and led them to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. However, the team had plateaued despite the addition of top draft picks, including No. 1 overall selection Rhyne Howard, and they had the worst offense in the league this season. Wright met her remit, but it was time for the Dream to go in a new direction.
Perhaps the most surprising coaching change was when the Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon after just one season. Weatherspoon built a strong bond with Rookie of the Year runner-up Angel Reese and kept the Sky in the playoff hunt despite a major talent drain, poor roster construction and injuries. Ultimately, there were too many concerns about her lack of experience, which cropped up at times during the season and led to doubts about attracting free agents. Plus, she was hired before new general manager Jeff Pagliocca, and that order of operations usually doesn't lead to a long partnership.
The Wings hired Latricia Trammell ahead of the 2023 season with an eye on improving their porous defense. She did just that, and the Wings enjoyed their best season in over a decade. They reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2008 and won a playoff series for the first time since 2009. That momentum was halted by horrible injury luck in the first half of this season. The Wings started off 5-19 and never recovered. They are now in the lottery for the first time since 2021, and have the best odds of getting the No. 1 overall pick due to the pick swap they have with the Sky. Ahead of a potentially franchise-altering winter, the Wings decided to go for a fresh start on the sideline.
Prior to the 2023 season, the Sparks made a big splash by hiring Curt Miller away from the Connecticut Sun, where he had enjoyed an extremely successful tenure that included two Finals appearances. The Sparks were hopeful that Miller could turn the Sparks around after missing the playoffs in both 2021 and 2022. That did not happen, however, in large part due to injuries. After winning the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, they then pivoted to a full rebuild and finished in last place this season. Firing Miller seemed harsh considering the circumstances, but the Sparks wanted to go in another direction and Miller has always been better with veteran teams.
The Mystics are the most recent team to make a change, as they fired both Mike Thibault (general manager and former long-term coach) and Eric Thibault. The younger Thibault, who took over for his dad ahead of the 2023 season, was hamstrung by injuries and Elena Delle Donne's decision to take a sabbatical. He guided the Mystics to the playoffs last season, but they began this campaign 0-12, which was the fourth-worst start in league history. Though they turned it around and were in the playoff hunt until the final day of the regular season, that wasn't enough to keep his job.
