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The WNBA is seeing a rise in coaching salaries, with top coaches like Nate Tibbetts, Becky Hammon, and more earning impressive contracts. These individuals are not only making a mark on the league but are helping to shape its future. Let’s take a look at the highest-paid coaches in the WNBA for 2025.
Nate Tibbetts—Phoenix Mercury ($1.2 million)
Head coach of the Phoenix Mercury, Tibbetts has become the highest-paid coach in WNBA history with a reported salary of $1.2 million. The reason Mercury gave such an outstanding deal to Tibbetts is that he has served as an assistant coach with teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic.
The owner, Mat Ishbia, shared his thoughts while hiring Tibbetts as the head coach. He said, “I am incredibly excited to welcome Nate to our Phoenix Mercury family. From bringing the WNBA All-Star game to Phoenix, building a dedicated practice facility for the Mercury, and now to bringing on Nate as our head coach, everything we do, on and off the floor, centers around our fans, elevating Phoenix as the epicenter of basketball, and setting a new standard for investment in women’s sports.”
Becky Hammon—Las Vegas Aces ($1 million)
Becky Hammon is earning $1 million annually while serving as the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces. Before 2024, she was the highest-paid WNBA coach, but Tibbett surpassed her. Aces owner Mark Davis revealed the importance of hiring her, claiming, “Little girls, guys, anybody can look at her and say, ‘She’s just like me.’ A small basketball player who’s retired, and she got the job. And she’s making a million dollars. I can do that, too.”
While looking at her performance as the head coach, we see that under her coaching, the Aces ended the regular season with 26–10 in her debut year, 2022, and this is not all; the team also won the Commissioner’s Cup that year, and Hammon herself was named 2022 WNBA Coach of the Year. In 2023, she took the Aces to new heights with a franchise-best 34–6 record and secured back-to-back championships.
Lynne Roberts—Los Angeles Sparks ($709,500)
Lynne Roberts was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks on November 19, 2024, and as their head coach, she is making $709,500.
When we look at her experience, we can clearly see what Sparks management saw in her. She has 27 years of coaching experience — she began her career at Chico State and achieved an impressive 86–31 record and led the team to an NCAA Division II Final Four appearance in her final season, earning WBCA West Region Coach of the Year honors.
After this, she went to the University of the Pacific and guided the Tigers to four postseason appearances and was later named the Big West Coach of the Year in 2013 and West Coast Co-Coach of the Year in 2015. She didn’t stop there, leading the University of Utah to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a historic Sweet 16 run in 2023.
When she got hired as the head coach, she publicly expressed gratitude at being hired as the head coach. She said, “I am honored to be named the next head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks,” Roberts said.
“I want to thank our ownership group for this incredible opportunity. From conversations with Eric Holoman and Reagan Pebley, it is evident that we share a like-minded commitment toward creating a winning culture and team. The Sparks have a talented roster with tremendous upside, and we will compete tirelessly for WNBA championships. I believe Los Angeles should be the premier market in the WNBA, and I’m eager to partner with our players and front office to make this happen,” he added.
Cheryl Reeve—Minnesota Lynx ($700,000)
As the head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, Cheryl Reeve is earning around $700,000. Looking at her career, we see that she has won four championships and 330 career wins. She has set the record for most WNBA Coach of the Year awards, receiving the honor in 2011, 2016, 2020, and 2024.
She has also served as the head coach for the women’s national basketball team. Regarding this, the owner of Lynx, Glen Taylor, said, “Becky and I are thrilled for this historic opportunity for Cheryl to lead our country as the new head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team. We have been fortunate to witness Cheryl’s leadership and success over the years and look forward to her continuing her journey and remarkable legacy with both the Lynx and USA Basketball.”
Sandy Brondello—New York Liberty ($500,000)
The head coach of the New York Liberty, Sandy Brondello, is earning $500,000 annually. During her third season with the Liberty, she has won them their first WNBA championship. She is not new to coaching; she has been coaching for around 19 years, including head coaching roles with the San Antonio Silver Stars, Phoenix Mercury, and now the Liberty.
Looking at her career, Brondello served as the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in 2014 and led them to a WNBA Championship, earning the Coach of the Year award. While serving as the head coach for the Australian women’s national team, the team won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking Australia’s first Olympic podium finish in 12 years.
The owners of the New York Liberty, Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai, have expressed their views on hiring her. They said, “We are excited to have Sandy join us. We ran a thorough search process for the next head coach, and when we met with Sandy in New York, we knew she would bring not only her wealth of experience but also her passion for elevating our star players and developing our young core. We have no doubt Sandy will be that strong voice to set the culture for the New York Liberty to compete at the highest level.”
