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When the Seattle Storm announced the firing of head coach Noelle Quinn on Sunday, the result was a discomforting front office reality for the WNBA: With Quinn’s exit, there are no longer any Black female head coaches in the 13-team league.
The WNBA is still a majority Black league. In 2023, 63.8% of 141 WNBA players polled by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport identified as Black or African American. There are two Black men coaching teams, Tyler Marsh of the Chicago Sky and Sydney Johnson of the Washington Mystics.
This is likely especially distressing for a league office that has placed a vocal emphasis on diversifying the league’s coaching ranks and creating a pipeline for former players to one day lead its teams.
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There have been two occurrences in which the WNBA has started a season without a Black female head coach. The last time was in 2020, during the bubble season.
The first time the WNBA began a season without a Black female head coach leading one of its teams was in 2006. Carolyn Jenkins, who began that season as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx, would eventually assume the title of interim head coach for 11 games after the midseason departure of Suzie McConnell Serio.
There are currently four WNBA teams with head coach vacancies: Seattle and New York, in addition to Toronto and Portland, the two expansion franchises set to tip off in 2026.
A number of Black female coaches could be candidates for the WNBA’s multiple openings, including a handful of former WNBA head coaches such as Tanisha Wright, Vickie Johnson and Teresa Weatherspoon, who could receive another shot at the helm.
Here are several names front offices could look to this coaching cycle who would become first-time WNBA head coaches if chosen:
Current job: associate head coach, Phoenix Mercury
When it comes to a current assistant’s readiness to assume the role of head coach in the WNBA, Toliver is near if not at the top of the list. A former WNBA All-Star and two-time champion, she has spent the past two seasons as an associate head coach for the Mercury. Before that, Toliver was an assistant coach in the NBA (as an active player in the WNBA), spending two seasons with the Washington Wizards and two with the Dallas Mavericks.
Current job: assistant, Minnesota Lynx
After retiring from the WNBA in 2020, Brunson joined the Lynx coaching staff under the tutelage of head coach Cheryl Reeve. Brunson ended her career with five WNBA championships, more than any player in league history, as well as – at the time – the all-time total rebound record. She was the backbone of the Minnesota dynasty of the 2010s.
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This year marks Brunson’s sixth on Reeve’s staff. In addition to her contributions to revitalize the Lynx franchise, Brunson, a five-time All-Star and seven-time All-Defensive team selection as a player, also has had a key role in the development of Minnesota superstar Napheesa Collier.
Current job: assistant coach, Indiana Fever
During her playing career, January was known as one of the best defensive talents in the WNBA. January, who won a championship in 2012 with Indiana and was an All-Star in 2014, made seven All-Defensive teams during her career. As a coach, January is lauded for her high basketball IQ and defensive focus. She has coached at three different levels, first as an assistant at her alma mater, Arizona State, then as an assistant for the Connecticut Sun under Stephanie White. January also was an assistant coach for a season in the NBA G League with the Motor City Cruise before joining White’s staff when she moved to Indiana.
Current job: assistant coach, Los Angeles Lakers
Harding, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, soon will begin her second season as an assistant coach with the Lakers. This past summer, she became the second woman to lead an NBA Summer League team, doing so with Los Angeles. Before that, Harding was the head coach of the Stockton Kings of the G League, where she led the Kings to the league’s best overall record and was named coach of the year for the 2023-24 season. Harding started her post-playing journey as a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018 before joining the Sacramento Kings in 2019 as a player development coach and later as a full-time assistant.
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Harding also has coached the South Sudan women’s national team and most recently Mexico’s women’s national team.
Current job: assistant coach, Chicago Sky
Wakama spent last season, her first in the WNBA, as an assistant to first-year head coach Tyler Marsh in Chicago. Wakama, though, has made multiple splashes as a head coach on the international stage. She is the first woman to lead the Nigerian women’s national team after being hired in 2023. She led D’Tigress to back-to-back Afrobasket titles in 2023 and 2025. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nigeria shocked the international basketball world by advancing to the quarterfinals, becoming the first African team (men or women) to do so. FIBA crowned Wakama “Best Coach” for the tournament.
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Wakama also has coached at the collegiate level. She got her start in coaching with Manhattan College before making stops as an assistant at Stony Brook and Tulane.
Current job: assistant coach, Atlanta Dream
Lyles could be an interesting candidate to be considered for this coaching cycle. This season marked her first on a WNBA sideline, coaching alongside first-year Dream head coach Karl Smesko. Lyles has been a longtime protege of Smesko’s, coaching alongside him since she joined his staff at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2011. Following Smesko’s departure from FGCU in November, Lyles was named the new head coach. Under her direction, the team finished with a 30-2 record (18-0 Atlantic Sun Conference) and secured the program’s 11th NCAA tournament appearance. Lyles was named ASUN Coach of the Year.
Current job: associate head coach, Connecticut Sun
Hodges, who played 11 seasons in the WNBA, was announced as an assistant coach for the Sun in January, serving on first-year WNBA head coach Rachid Meziane’s staff. By May, she had already been promoted to associate head coach. In 2023 and 2024, Hodges made back-to-back Finals appearances as an assistant with the New York Liberty under then-coach Sandy Brondello, winning a championship in 2024.
Before joining New York, Hodges was an assistant at Colgate and Old Dominion. She also was a facilitator for Athletes Unlimited during its 2025 season.
Current job: head coach, Notre Dame
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It’s unlikely that Ivey would leave her post at Notre Dame after being a part of the fabric of the program as a player and coach for two decades. However, when it comes to a college coach who has won championships as both a player and coach – and who understands how to cultivate and develop pro talent – Ivey is instrumental in why they call Notre Dame “Guard U.” She could be the perfect candidate for a team looking to make a splash.
