• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

Sparks Turn to College Ranks: Utah’s Lynne Roberts Named Head Coach

The Atlanta Dream hired Karl Smesko from Florida Gulf Coast last week. Three WNBA head coaching positions remain vacant.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Days after missing out on the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, the Los Angeles Sparks hired their next head coach. L.A. dipped into the college ranks and signed Lynne Roberts from Utah as the replacement for Curt Miller.

Roberts is the second head coach in a week hired in the WNBA from the NCAA women’s basketball ranks—despite the season starting on Nov. 4—after the Atlanta Dream hired Karl Smesko from Florida Gulf Coast last Wednesday.

Roberts had a 162–115 record in nine full seasons as the Utes coach, including three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances since 2022. Utah’s last tournament appearance before Roberts’s tenure was in 2011.

Her departure comes despite signing a contract extension in the summer with Utah through 2030. But there’s been a ton of tension in the college ranks given NIL (name, image, and likeness) and realignment—and Utah was one of the affected schools, moving from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 in August. The Utes were also a target of a pair of racial hate incidents during last year’s NCAA tournament.

The WNBA Coaching Market

The financial details of Roberts’s deal with the Sparks are unknown. There are varying reports as to what her salary was with the Utes. According to USA Today, she was expected to earn $709,500 with a $305,000 maximum bonus this year for a potential total north of $1 million. In 2022, USA Today pegged her to have a $410,000 salary with a $190,000 bonus, while The Salt Lake Tribune reported Roberts made $695,000 that year.

Only two WNBA head coaches made more than $1 million last season—Nate Tibbetts of the Phoenix Mercury (approximately $1.2 million) and Becky Hammon of the Las Vegas Aces ($1 million). The Athletic reported before Smesko was hired by the Dream that the low-end salaries for WNBA head coaches last season were $350,000.

The market for salaries is expected to rise as the league continues to grow and as the money from the new $2.2 billion media-rights deal is already expected to come in by 2026. It may not be enough to lure in the biggest names in women’s college basketball—Kim Mulkey, Geno Auriemma, and Dawn Staley all make north of $3 million—but it’s clear the market for WNBA coaches is going up.

“There’s no better time to join the W than right now,” Smesko said during his introductory press conference Tuesday. “This is the most exciting time for the league.”

Three WNBA head coaching positions are still available: the Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Less Belichick Hype Could Mean Bad News for CFB Stakeholders

UNC had never begun a football season with so much hype.

Bill Belichick’s Star-Studded UNC Coaching Debut Turns Ugly

Michael Jordan highlighted a long list of celebrities in attendance.

Osaka Ousts Gauff As American Presence at US Open Dwindles

Gauff’s exit shifts spotlight to Pegula, Anisimova, and Fritz at US Open.

Lee Corso’s Farewell Delivers Record ‘College GameDay’ Viewership

ESPN averaged 3.5 million viewers, per preliminary figures.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.

OSU Sophomore Wins $250K in McAfee ‘GameDay’ Kicking Contest

The former NFL punter started offering prize money for kicks in 2023.
Mike Gundy
September 2, 2025

OSU’s Gundy, Oregon’s Lanning Trade Barbs Over Alleged $30 Million Gap

Lanning ripped Gundy’s “excuse” and said “we spend to win.”
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.
September 2, 2025

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
FSU
September 2, 2025

ACC Hits Florida State With First $50K Storming Fine Under New Rule

The ACC announced a new fine system in July.
August 30, 2025

5 of 10 Highest-Paid CFB Coaches Lose in Week 1

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer was the biggest surprise of the Week 1 losers.
August 29, 2025

Cody Campbell Asks Congress to Allow National College Sports TV Package

The billionaire’s ad will air on ESPN and Fox this weekend.
Ohio State mascot Brutus interacts with Lee Corso on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the College Football Playoff first round game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024.
August 29, 2025

End of an Era: Lee Corso Makes His Final ‘College GameDay’ Appearance

After 431 iconic headgear picks, the iconic coach bids farewell.