The WNBA has been growing steadily over the past decade but has reached a tipping point during the 2024 season. Big-name rookies with prodigious college careers such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have also drawn more attention to the league.
Record attendance numbers and viewership underline a breakout year for the WNBA. The historic media-rights deal signed in July will inevitably lead to higher salaries for players and coaches.
The highest-paid WNBA coaches of 2024 are still paid far less than their NBA counterparts but are commanding decent salaries.
Nate Tibbetts is the highest-paid WNBA coach of 2024.
His salary is reported to be $1.2 million, topping Becky Hammon’s spot as the previous highest-paid coach.
Tibbetts completed his first season as the Mercury coach with the team finishing 19-21 and earning the 7th seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Tibbetts brings a wealth of experience as an assistant coach in the NBA, but his hire isn’t without controversy.
His large contract for a coach who had never coached in the WNBA raised a few eyebrows.
Becky Hammon is second on the list, bringing in $1 million annually to coach the Las Vegas Aces. She’s the first woman ever hired as an assistant coach in the NBA, spending eight years with the San Antonio Spurs.
She’s been wildly successful since taking over the Las Vegas head coaching job. The Aces won their second straight WNBA championship in 2023.
Newly hired Lynne Roberts makes the list at third for the Sparks, earning an estimated $709.5K.
Her reported salary is based on what she was set to earn with her previous employer, the Utah Utes of the Big 12 conference (WNBA salaries are not publicly disclosed).
Roberts is the second college coach to make the leap to the WNBA after the Dream hired Karl Smesko in November.
Cheryl Reeve of the Lynx is fourth, earning $700K. Reeve has the most wins as a head coach in WNBA history, leading the Lynx to four WNBA titles and 330 wins.
Sandy Brondello of the Liberty rounds out the top five, earning $500K.
Brondello ended her third season in New York with a perfect ending by helping the Liberty win their first WNBA championship. She earned her second WNBA championship as a head coach after leading the Mercury to a title in 2014.
The turnover in the head coaching ranks is expected to continue as three teams have yet to name new head coaches.
Ranking The Highest-Paid WNBA Coaches
Here are the top 5 highest-paid WNBA coaches of 2024. The list was compiled with data from the WNBA and Sportysalaries.
- Updated: December 3, 2024
| Rank | Coach | Team | Total Compensation |
| 1 | Nate Tibbetts | Phoenix Mercury | ~$1.2 million |
| 2 | Becky Hammon | Las Vegas Aces | $1 million |
| 3 | Lynne Roberts | Los Angeles Sparks | $709.5K |
| 4 | Cheryl Reeve | Minnesota Lynx | $700K |
| 5 | Sandy Brondello | New York Liberty | $500K |
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