The WNBA has filled all its head coaching vacancies following an offseason that saw eight open positions.
On Monday, Dallas named Chris Koclanes as head coach, followed shortly by Washington hiring Sydney Johnson, rounding out the league’s seven coaching hires.
The new hires bring diverse backgrounds. Three are former college head coaches (Karl Smesko, Lynne Roberts, and Johnson), three were WNBA assistants (Koclanes, Johnson, and Tyler Marsh), and one comes from the international coaching scene (Rachid Meziane). Stephanie White is the only coach with prior WNBA head coaching experience, moving from Connecticut to return to Indiana.
With the Golden State Valkyries joining the league next season and naming Natalie Nakase as their first head coach, the WNBA’s 13 teams will feature seven women and six men in head coaching roles.
At the end of the 2022 season, half of the league’s 12 head coaches were Black. Three years later, that number has dropped to three, with Seattle’s Noelle Quinn the only Black female head coach after Teresa Weatherspoon (Chicago) and Tanisha Wright (Atlanta) were dismissed. Nakase becomes the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history.
Two of the new openings went to Black men—Sydney Johnson and Tyler Marsh. The league also boasts three Black general managers: Morgan Tuck (Connecticut), Ohemaa Nyanin (Golden State), and Jamila Wideman (Washington).
A Look at the Eight New WNBA Coaches
Atlanta Dream — Karl Smesko
Experience: Smesko joins the WNBA after a 23-year tenure at Florida Gulf Coast, where he held the third-highest winning percentage (.829) among active college coaches, trailing only UConn’s Geno Auriemma and LSU’s Kim Mulkey.
Outlook: Known for his teams’ prowess in 3-point shooting, Smesko inherits a talented roster featuring Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray.
Chicago Sky — Tyler Marsh
Experience: Marsh comes to Chicago after serving as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces, helping them secure back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
Outlook: Marsh takes over a team led by skilled post players Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, with the No. 3 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.
Connecticut Sun — Rachid Meziane
Experience: Meziane has extensive international coaching experience, leading professional teams in France and Belgium’s national team, which finished fourth at the Paris Olympics.
Outlook: Meziane faces a challenging offseason, with several top players from the Sun hitting unrestricted free agency.
Dallas Wings — Chris Koclanes
Experience: Koclanes worked alongside new GM Curt Miller in Connecticut, helping the Sun reach the WNBA Finals in 2019 and 2022.
Outlook’s: With the No. 1 pick in April’s draft and a strong core led by Arike Ogunbowale, Koclanes has a solid foundation.
Golden State Valkyries — Natalie Nakase
Experience: Nakase becomes the first head coach for the expansion franchise after a successful stint as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces. The Valkyries recently filled their roster via the expansion draft.
Outlook: With the No. 5 draft pick and plans to be active in free agency, Nakase will shape the team’s identity.
Indiana Fever — Stephanie White
Experience: White, the most experienced of the new hires, returns to Indiana after leading Connecticut to playoff appearances in consecutive seasons.
Outlook: White takes charge of a young, talented core highlighted by back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Los Angeles Sparks — Lynne Roberts
Experience: Roberts returns to California after nine seasons at Utah, where she compiled a 165-116 record and earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors in 2023.
Outlook: Roberts inherits a rebuilding Sparks team featuring young talent like Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink, and Dearica Hamby, along with the No. 2 draft pick.
Washington Mystics — Sydney Johnson
Experience: Johnson’s coaching résumé includes work with USA Basketball, a season as an assistant with the Chicago Sky, and an eight-year stint as head coach of Fairfield University’s men’s team (2011–2019).
Outlook: Johnson takes over a team narrowly missing the playoffs, led by Shakira Austin, Brittney Sykes, and Ariel Atkins.
