• Loading stock data...
Saturday, May 31, 2025

WNBA Faces Coaching Shake-Up As Sky, Sparks Lead Postseason Firings

  • The Chicago Sky released Teresa Weatherspoon less than a year after she was hired.
  • The L.A. Sparks recently fired Curt Miller.
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

As the WNBA playoffs enter the second round, the teams out of the hunt are already making moves.

On Friday, the Chicago Sky announced the release of head coach Teresa Weatherspoon less than a year after she was hired. Under Weatherspoon, who is in the WNBA Hall of Fame as a player, the Sky finished with a 13–27 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Weatherspoon was hired after spending four years as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Pelicans—though she joined the Sky before the team traded 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, the last remaining core piece of the franchise’s championship team that included Candace Parker. Losing Copper prompted a rebuild for the Sky, who then drafted Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese in April.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, which broke the news Thursday night, Weatherspoon had the support of her players throughout the season—though there was some tension later in the year surrounding playing time and scheme changes. However, Reese, the team’s lone All-Star, posted her support for Weatherspoon on X shortly after the news dropped.

“I’m heartbroken. I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life. … You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you Tspoon,” Reese wrote. 

W’s Coaching Conundrum

Weatherspoon’s release came just days after two-time WNBA Coach of the Year Curt Miller was fired by the Sparks, who parted ways with him following an injury-riddled year that saw the team finish dead last.

One thing Weatherspoon and Miller had in common is they were both hired before the team appointed its current GM. The Sky promoted Jeff Pagliocca to GM weeks after Weatherspoon was hired, while the Sparks hired Raegan Pebley as GM in January. It’s not uncommon for GMs in sports to want to hire a coach they are able to vet.

The Indiana Fever announced Monday that Kelly Krauskopf will return as team president and there is growing speculation that coach Christie Sides—who has faced a lot of criticism, particularly early in the season—could experience a similar fate as Weatherspoon and Miller. 

Krauskopf held the same role with the Fever from 2000 to 2018 before moving to the Pacers as assistant GM. The Fever won the WNBA title in 2012 and captured three Eastern Conference championships in 2009, 2012, and 2015.  

Pay Structure

But the position of WNBA head coach is odd given the league’s nascent status.

Coaches’ salaries currently top out at $1.2 million for the Phoenix Mercury’s Nate Tibbetts and $1 million for the Aces’ Becky Hammon, but mostly hover around a half million dollars. That’s a lot more than the max salary of a WNBA player—which is just over $250,000.

In the NBA, there are assistant coaches who make more than the highest-paid WNBA coach, though Hammon was reportedly paid $750,000 a year as an assistant coach for the Spurs

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Newly American-Owned Italian Hoops Team Hires Ex-Pelicans Exec as GM

Napoli Basketball is hiring the Pelicans’ former chief of staff as GM.

MSG Tickets for Potential Pacers-Knicks Game 7 Start at $1,100

The current get-in price for a potential Game 7 is $1,099.

French Open Scheduling Sparks Backlash Over Women’s Time Slots

Coco Gauff has also said the French Open schedule could be improved.

Featured Today

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) injures left shoulder whilte attempt to steal second base in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.

Yankees-Dodgers Clash Draws TV Spotlight, Sky-High Prices

The teams’ lone regular-season series features three nationally aired games.
May 29, 2025

Panthers Clinch Stanley Cup Final Appearance, Stir Up Dynasty Talk

The Panthers clinched a third-straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Sha'Carri Richardson
May 29, 2025

Sha’Carri Richardson Enters Track Start-Up Fray With Alexis Ohanian

Richardson headlines a group of “advisor owners” with equity in the league.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
May 29, 2025

NCAA Exploring March Madness Expansion to 76 Teams in 2026

NCAA president Charlie Baker said March Madness discussions are ongoing.
Softball
May 29, 2025

MLB Makes Eight-Figure Investment in New Softball League 

Athletes Unlimited and Major League Baseball announced the deal Thursday morning.
May 25, 2025; MONACO; McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates with a trophy on the podium after winning the Monaco Grand Prix alongside third placed McLaren's Oscar Piastri and McLaren chief executive Zak Brown at Circuit de Monaco.
May 28, 2025

F1’s Monaco GP Draws Third-Largest U.S. Audience Amid Track Criticisms

F1 will race in Monaco until at least 2031.
May 28, 2025

Big 12 Men’s Coaches in Favor of Expanding March Madness

Kansas coach Bill Self said the conference supports the idea.