With two of the highest-profile assistants in the WNBA off the market, the rest of the league is dealing with a further scarcity of new names. A lack of known options doesn’t mean potential candidates aren’t equipped to succeed, but front offices might be confronted with the fact that there aren’t better prospects than the coaches who lost their jobs.
Excellent article on the history of women’s basketball, the birth of the WNBA, and the woman who used her power at ESPN to bring women’s sports into national viewership.
Nice to start reading some Valkyries content here! Kind of an old story - WNBA has clarified how the draft will work & without major trading we won't be getting Paige Bueckers with the 5th draft pick. But it will be fun to see who teams protect, I'm really looking forward to the process. The dropping of so many coaches is unsettling - kind of interesting that Valkyries hired Nakase before so many head coaches came available.
The Indiana Fever named Stephanie White as Head Coach. White, a West Lebanon, Indiana native and Purdue alumna, returns to the franchise where she spent six seasons (as head coach in 2015-16 and as an assistant coach from 2011-14) on the sidelines.
Clearly a good coach. Her staff in Connecticut included Fever great Briann January, as well, so it’ll be interesting to see if she comes over.
It's notable to me, though, that White's teams were at the bottom of the league in terms of pace the last two years. I don’t know enough about these things to say whether that was a philosophical choice, or indeed whether it was caused by the offense at all. It certainly *seemed* like AT was getting out in transition, but I dunno. I just really hope the plan is to get Clark playing more like Steve Nash than James Harden. (Which is one reason I hoped she’d get drafted by Seattle—Boston is excellent, but someone a little rangier like Magbegor, with those athletic wings, seemed more fun to me.)
Several theories on all this overturn. Not sure which one/S to believe but several of them focus on the fact that there is more money in the WNBA and the incoming players are more skilled. Apparently a high salary for a coach is about $700,000 for the season.
The Athletic has an article about why it is hard to find good coaches for the W:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5903433/2024/11/07/wnba-coaching-candidates-pool/
Sounds like it was good we grabbed Natalie early.
With two of the highest-profile assistants in the WNBA off the market, the rest of the league is dealing with a further scarcity of new names. A lack of known options doesn’t mean potential candidates aren’t equipped to succeed, but front offices might be confronted with the fact that there aren’t better prospects than the coaches who lost their jobs.
One month until the expansion draft.
Can't wait. LGV!
Excellent article on the history of women’s basketball, the birth of the WNBA, and the woman who used her power at ESPN to bring women’s sports into national viewership.
https://links.e1.nytimes.com/a/click?_t=1d75fd3a730a463c8648bd84293b832a&_m=6504800c837b4583ac009048bbbff848&_e=ZbLaIRR8IZbEqmm-8shdX5PxjskrHxLYv5c0lhEcaQoqEWta9vNirCS6Kry4QuKLpn8s8KaxGxh2LGhpM5k-t7QX-JyX2wxwhQF9gTYS0i8X-WSxp9wcExLl1_ajbXQczhZxmCXGR-frhAWd4x9uN9Na_ntNUEVyCR-5Hy2MgEeU7dDAIhlqWpo_GlF152jfGpF13jIjpN1ylGYY06NAHOhJ1sSEVU3Z-pKcIen1-k8CUrn5Y-SWGuhSA3xMWsoZYB_yCUpFMPlRVn_rXUhZyQLNF5xptFUHvEDFr4PL2eQvmFrmL0Yyx4LUZvwmcwo4JpAUtg4gu4k2oa62YnAC-3QVie36hJqkX2CWPO9Ilwk%3D
Nice to start reading some Valkyries content here! Kind of an old story - WNBA has clarified how the draft will work & without major trading we won't be getting Paige Bueckers with the 5th draft pick. But it will be fun to see who teams protect, I'm really looking forward to the process. The dropping of so many coaches is unsettling - kind of interesting that Valkyries hired Nakase before so many head coaches came available.
Said this during the finals, saying it again now. Sabrina had been injured and played injured in game 5.
Shooting hand. They still won thanks largely to Stewie, JJ, and Leonie Fiebich and then NS who stepped up.
Some were predicting this…
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The Indiana Fever named Stephanie White as Head Coach. White, a West Lebanon, Indiana native and Purdue alumna, returns to the franchise where she spent six seasons (as head coach in 2015-16 and as an assistant coach from 2011-14) on the sidelines.
WNBAThreads
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https://www.threads.net/@hoopfeed/post/DB1eTPdNA05?xmt=AQGzgN4mIywHbWvVat5Cwi5lCgaNbxfaDZeHTp4nY1z0qQ
Clearly a good coach. Her staff in Connecticut included Fever great Briann January, as well, so it’ll be interesting to see if she comes over.
It's notable to me, though, that White's teams were at the bottom of the league in terms of pace the last two years. I don’t know enough about these things to say whether that was a philosophical choice, or indeed whether it was caused by the offense at all. It certainly *seemed* like AT was getting out in transition, but I dunno. I just really hope the plan is to get Clark playing more like Steve Nash than James Harden. (Which is one reason I hoped she’d get drafted by Seattle—Boston is excellent, but someone a little rangier like Magbegor, with those athletic wings, seemed more fun to me.)
Thanks for posting.
Several theories on all this overturn. Not sure which one/S to believe but several of them focus on the fact that there is more money in the WNBA and the incoming players are more skilled. Apparently a high salary for a coach is about $700,000 for the season.