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One down, four to go. (Or, four to go for now, as we can never count out the possibility of late-breaking, oddly-timed WNBA decisions.)
On Friday, the Portland Fire officially announced Alex Sarama as their head coach, tapping the player development guru currently on the staff of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. The hire, which initially was leaked on LinkedIn, substantiates reporting that WNBA teams are prioritizing candidates with NBA track records, choosing to value certain types of basketball experiences and expertise, and the candidates who are more likely to have those, over others.
However, with four openings remaining, the demographic composition of WNBA head coaches is far from settled. Here’s the latest scuttlebutt on the thinkings and leanings of the New York Liberty, Dallas Wings, Seattle Storm and Toronto Tempo:
The pressure is on the New York Liberty and general manager Jonathan Kolb to make the right hire after choosing not to retain Sandy Brondello, who not only delivered the first championship in franchise history in 2024 and became the organization’s winningest head coach over her four seasons in Brooklyn, but also had the full support of the team’s stars.
Bringing in a head coach with NBA experience appears to be the top priority, according to The Athletic’s Ben Pickman. As previously reported, former WNBA players who have had opportunities within NBA organizations in Lindsey Harding, currently a Los Angeles Lakers’ assistant, and Kristi Toliver, an assistant with the Phoenix Mercury, are under consideration. During the WNBA Finals, Mercury star Alyssa Thomas endorsed Toliver’s head coaching potential.
Another candidate in New York is Sonia Raman, a current Liberty assistant who was an assistant with the Memphis Grizzles for four seasons. A finalist for one of last offseason’s head coach openings, Raman “is highly regarded for her ability to connect with players and her technical approach to the game,“ per Pickman.
Other contenders for the job lack any experience in women’s basketball. That includes current Charlotte Hornets coaching advisor Will Weaver. Previously, Weaver was a Brooklyn Nets assistant who spent time as the head coach of their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. (The Nets are owned by Liberty owner Joe Tsai.) Weaver also has a more extensive men’s basketball resume, holding other assistant and head coaching positions at the collegiate, international and NBA levels. Joseph Blair likewise boasts a significant track record in men’s basketball, playing overseas before becoming an NBA assistant. Currently, he is serving his second stint as the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets.
It could be argued that Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller is under as much, if not more, pressure than Kolb in New York, as his first stab at hiring the head coach to steward the Paige Bueckers era, his mentee Chris Koclanes, was a bust.
The presence of Bueckers is a burden and blessing for Miller. While his decision will be highly scrutinized, a wide range of candidates should be interested, as the opportunity to coach one of the WNBA’s most promising talents makes the job appealing to those who otherwise might be discouraged by the volatility that has characterized the Wings organization since their arrival in Dallas. That the organization “is prepared to invest in the role financially,” as reported by The Athletic’s Pickman, should further attract candidates from across the basketball landscape.
With previous head coaching experience a reported priority, Brondello, as well as current Baylor and former Atlanta Dream head coach Nicki Collen, are believed to be in the running. Another name that has emerged from the women’s college ranks is Jose Fernandez, the longtime South Florida head coach who was a finalist for the position last offseason.
From the NBA world, Dave Joerger is the most interesting candidate cited by Pickman. Currently an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, Joerger has held two NBA head coaching positions, first with the Grizzles and then with the Sacramento Kings. Coby Karl, the son of former NBA head coach George Karl who has served as the head coach of the South Bay Lakers and Delaware Blue Coats, the G League affiliates of the Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively, has also received consideration. Karl currently is a men’s basketball assistant at Boise State. The Wings also have expressed interest in Blair.
Brondello, again, is believed to be a candidate for the Seattle Storm. Notably, Brondello crossed paths with Skylar Diggins on the Mercury in 2020 and 2021, with the latter season being the last time Phoenix made it to the WNBA Finals prior to 2025.
Current Indiana Fever assistant Briann January, who spent the final of her 14 seasons as a WNBA player with the Storm, is another candidate. January, who assisted Fever head coach Stephanie White during her two seasons with the Connecticut Sun before following her to Indiana, also worked as an assistant for the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate. Pickman also reports that Raman has interviewed for the Storm job.
It seems worth pointing out that Seattle, which has an all-women ownership group, has yet to consider any male candidates, at least based on current reporting.
While general manger Monica Wright Rogers assumed her post in February, the WNBA’s first non-US team has yet to make a decision on their first head coach.
Brondello, yet again, is a name to watch, as she is considered the organization’s favored candidate according to Pickman. Pickman further reported that Brondello “was on vacation last week, hence a potential delay in the process and her decision could trigger a domino effect around the league. If she’s hired by the Tempo, that could spark a chain reaction in Dallas and Seattle…”
Prior to Brondello becoming their front runner, Toronto was strongly considering James Wade, the former Chicago Sky head coach who lead his team to the 2021 WNBA title over Brondello’s Mercury and is now an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. Pickman suggests “his candidacy appears to have cooled,” while an additional group of former WNBA coaches have also “had discussions about the role.” That group includes former Dream head coach and current Sky assistant Tanisha Wright, former Mystics head coach and current Minnesota Lynx assistant Eric Thibault and former Wings head coach and current Los Angeles Sparks assistant Latricia Trammell. Jenny Boucek, an assistant with the Indiana Pacers who both played and coached in the WNBA, also is a candidate in Toronto.
