There is a trend among several WNBA teams with head coaching vacancies to consider assistant coaches from NBA clubs as potential candidates, as reported by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (video link).
While Fischer did not mention any specific assistant coaches who are being considered by WNBA teams, he suggested that it would not be surprising to see some make the transition before the next season.
“There is currently a trend of WNBA teams looking to bring in coaching talent from the NBA into the W,” Fischer said. “This is happening in all the current searches. In the last four or five years since I have been more involved in this insider world, I have never heard so many people discussing the appealing opportunity for NBA assistant coaches to become head coaches in the WNBA.”
The Los Angeles Sparks, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, Dallas Wings, and Connecticut Sun all have open head coaching positions. The expansion teams in Toronto and Portland will also need to hire coaches before they begin playing in 2026. According to Fischer, the Sparks, Dream, and Mystics have all enlisted search firms to help them find top candidates.
Sources inform Fischer that the salaries for WNBA head coaches are believed to be in the $500K-$1MM range, making the positions attractive. While these figures may not match the salaries of top NBA head coaches, they are competitive with what many NBA assistants earn. Fischer notes that salaries for many NBA assistant coaches on the front end of the bench are typically in the $200-300K range.
Becky Hammon, the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces who was hired before the 2022 season, and Nate Tibbetts of the Phoenix Mercury, who was hired before the 2024 season, are examples of current WNBA head coaches who previously served as NBA assistants and were hired directly from NBA staffs. Hammon became the highest-paid coach in WNBA history when she was hired, and Tibbetts reportedly surpassed her salary two years later.
