The WNBA’s offseason has turned into a full-on episode of Coaches Gone Wild, with nearly half the league’s teams pulling the ejector seat on their head coaches. Five teams are on the hunt for new leadership, raising the question: Are they just trying to win games, or do they have commitment issues?
It all started on Sept. 24, when the Los Angeles Sparks decided they were done with head coach Curt Miller after just two seasons. Apparently, they were expecting a championship on delivery—thanks for playing, Curt, but no cigar. Miller’s seven-year run with the Connecticut Sun, where he was seen as a genius, didn’t carry over to the sunny skies of LA. Go figure.
Not to be outdone, the Chicago Sky promptly said “bye-bye” to Teresa Weatherspoon at the end of September after one lone season. Enter Tyler Marsh, who’s hoping to take a break from being an assistant coach for real champions like the Las Vegas Aces and even the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. Chicago’s message? “Here, Tyler, you take over—we’ve tried everything else.”
The Connecticut Sun also got into the spirit of the coaching shuffle, parting ways with Stephanie White after two seasons. If anyone’s upset, it isn’t White, because on Oct. 27, she was fired and rehired faster than we could blink, landing back at the Indiana Fever on Nov. 4. It’s basically her home, where she was head coach from 2014 to 2016 and a player from 2000 to 2004. At this rate, she might have a retirement party there one day. “It feels like home,” White said, proving that you really can go home again—as long as you’re good at dodging pink slips.
White’s predecessor at the Fever, Christie Sides, was also shown the door. Fired on the same day she took the team to the playoffs—talk about timing. Guess making the postseason isn’t enough for a team that’s been waiting for a decent playoff run since forever. Sides should’ve known by now that nothing good comes from a meeting scheduled on a Monday.
Elsewhere, the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics decided it was time for fresh blood too. Latricia Trammell and Eric Thibault got to pack their bags in October, while the Atlanta Dream’s Tanisha Wright walked out on Oct. 2. Dream management hit us with the classic breakup line: “It’s not you, it’s us. We just need something new to take us to the top.” Ouch.
So why is the WNBA suddenly the Wild West for coaching jobs? Well, there’s a theory: pressure to win has reached a fever pitch. The league’s growing faster than a TikTok trend, and with more eyeballs watching, nobody has time for mediocre seasons. And then there’s that pesky little thing called new talent. Teams are looking for coaches who can not only manage the next big star but also do it while building a dynasty. Easy, right?
Oh, and just to make things even spicier, the New York Liberty took home their first-ever championship title in October, leaving everyone else looking a little desperate to match their success. The Liberty’s shiny new trophy probably has a few execs thinking, “We want one too!” But hey, if your team didn’t make the WNBA Finals, firing your coach might be the quick fix. Right?
According to ESPN, the 2025 WNBA season will kick off with 58.3% of its teams sporting brand-new head coaches. This is apparently the most chaotic offseason in the league’s history, so congrats on breaking that record, WNBA. Guess it’s not just the players who are competitive these days.
And speaking of competition, let’s not ignore how women’s basketball is blowing up. Caitlin Clark’s debut with the Indiana Fever brought in a whopping 2.1 million viewers on ESPN—because who doesn’t love watching a basketball prodigy do her thing? The NCAA Final Four had its biggest audience ever this past year too, thanks to Clark and South Carolina’s star-studded squad. More people are watching, and Nielsen says the demand for women’s sports is skyrocketing. Coaches: you’ve been warned.
As the WNBA gears up for next season, one thing is clear: the coaching carousel hasn’t slowed down, and there are a few teams still looking for the perfect person to steer the bus. Whether that bus is headed for a championship or the nearest cliff, well, that remains to be seen.
Buckle up—it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
