What does Wright’s firing mean for Dream coaching, WNBA?

The Atlanta Dream fired Tanesha Wright on Wednesday, becoming the third NBA team to part ways with its head coach since the regular season ended on September 19.

Wright went 48-68 in three seasons, with two playoff appearances. The Dream, whose last winning record came in 2018, were eliminated from the postseason both times. However, Atlanta has not made back-to-back playoff appearances since 2013-14. However, that wasn’t enough to save Wright’s job.

Atlanta was 15-25 this year despite several injuries, including leading scorer and Olympian Ryan Howard, who missed 10 games.

Wright is the second former WNBA player to be fired as coach in the past week. Teresa Weatherspoon was let go on September 26 after just one season with the Chicago Sky.

On September 24, veteran coach Curt Miller parted ways with the Los Angeles Sparks after just two seasons.

So there are three positions open, as is the head coach position for the expansion Golden State Valkyries. The 2026 expansion teams in Toronto and Portland will also need to hire coaches.

We take a look at Wright’s departure, the coaching landscape in the WNBA and discuss whether we might see more head coaching opportunities this year.

Was Wright’s dismissal a surprise?

Less than Miller and especially Weatherspoon. Wright spent three seasons, and while that’s still not a lot of time in a highly competitive league, it may be the industry standard when it comes to professional sports these days.

The WNBA has never been in the spotlight more than it is now. The pressure to win is greater than ever, as is the worry about falling too far behind the best franchises. Perhaps in the past, these three coaches could have been given more time.

Injuries are one of the most difficult parts of training in any sport. Both Wright, Miller, and Witherspoon have dealt with injuries this year that — had they not happened — would have changed their seasons.

But again, injuries are always a given, and coaches have to deal with them.

Atlanta is the fourth ownership group since the franchise’s inception in 2008. Dream general manager Dan Padover and Wright came to the Dream in October 2021 from the Las Vegas Aces. Howard was the Dream’s No. 1 pick in 2022, and Atlanta traded for Alisha Gray in 2023.

Atlanta had two first-round picks in 2023: Haley Jones (No. 6) and Laetitia Amihere (No. 8). Earlier this year, the Dream brought in Tina Charles and Aerial Powers as free agents and traded to Jordin Canada.

Between them, Howard, Canada and Powers missed 53 games due to injuries. Atlanta went through some rough stretches, winning just twice in 15 games between June 11 and July 17. After the Olympic break, the Dream Team was 8-8, which got them into the playoffs. But that wasn’t enough for Wright to keep her job. — Voible

Over the course of 3 years, this has been a great experience for me.

I want to thank every player I have had the honor of coaching. You’ve all fought hard to build some amazing groundwork, you’ve fought hard for the organization and you’ve fought hard for our culture…and that’s what I’m doing

– Coach Tanisha Wright (@coachtwright_) October 2, 2024

What are the Sparks, Sky and Dream looking for in a new coach?

Here’s something these teams have in common: a lottery pick for those early in their careers. Howard, who won a bronze medal in women’s 3×3 basketball at the Paris Olympics, averaged 17 points per game in her three seasons at just 24 years old.

The Sparks had No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink and No. 4 pick Rekia Jackson as starters this season. Brink played just 15 games before being lost for the year with a knee injury in June. Jackson played all 40 games averaging 13.4 points.

The Sky’s No. 3 pick, Kamilla Cardoso, and No. 7 pick, Angel Reese, combined for just over 23 points and 21 rebounds per game. Reese missed the final six games of the season with a wrist injury, but this looks like this could be a solid duo for years to come.

The WNBA doesn’t allow a lot of structured development time for players; The schedule is very compressed. It is very important that the players work on their games a lot in the offseason, and the new coaching staff for all these teams must form strong bonds with the young players to guide them in this process as well.

But it seems as if Wright, Witherspoon, and Miller had good relationships with their young stars. It’s always difficult to know what might be going on behind the scenes for any team. But whoever these teams hire as coaching replacements may have to mend some fences between players and management. — Voible

We have made the difficult decision to part ways with Coach Tanesha Wright. pic.twitter.com/BkEkdrvWIR

– Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) October 2, 2024

What other WNBA coaching jobs might open before the 2025 season?

Latricia Trammell led the Dallas Wings to the semifinals last season, but they had the second-worst record in the WNBA this year. Both of Trammell’s predecessors — Vickie Johnson and Brian Agler — got just two years with the Wings. For now, Trammell remains where he is.

It’s the same for Noel Quinn. After Las Vegas was swept by the Seattle Storm in the first round of the playoffs, Quinn suggested they were on “borrowed time” and all players should have put forth a more consistent effort.

Seattle has seen a major turnaround this season, going from 11-29 last season to 25-15 — the most wins by the Storm since they went 26-8 in 2018, when Seattle won the division title. This does not appear to be a reason to dismiss the coach. However, signing high-profile free agents, such as Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, but not winning a playoff game could be what prompts Quinn to exit after four seasons.

However, with four vacancies — Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Golden State — the now-fired coaches may be hired again in the not-too-distant future. — Voible

Which of the four WNBA coaching jobs is the most attractive?

Of these four teams, the Dream Team has the best chance of competing next season. Not only did they make the playoffs this year, but Atlanta is a No. 5 seed in 2023 and Canada and Howard should get healthy after missing a combined 30 games this season.

With Canada, Howard and Gray, an All-Star, on the court together, the Dream outscored opponents by 11 points per 100 possessions, according to WNBA Advanced Stats. All three are under contract for 2025, and Atlanta has the cap space to rebuild the frontcourt and bench around them.

For Chicago and Los Angeles, the answer will depend on the results of the draft lottery. If the Sparks get the No. 1 pick, which is likely UConn guard Paige Bueckers, it will further the rebuilding process. Because of the trade with the Dallas Wings, the Sky can’t pick No. 1, but they can add the second pick to promising rookies Cardoso and Reese.

However, if the goal is to win the tournament, I’ll take part in the Valkyries expansion. Next season could be a huge effort for Golden State, which is unlikely to add much top talent in the Dec. 6 expansion draft. However, come 2026, the Valkyries should be well positioned to compete in a free agency class that is more star-studded than we’ve seen before thanks to an expected jump in the salary cap under a potential new collective bargaining agreement.

With the Warriors’ resources, Golden State will enter the league as one of the top WNBA-backed franchises. Add to that an attractive market and fans who have already deposited 18,000 tickets, and the Valkyries have the opportunity to join the Aces, New York Liberty and Storm as the top destination for free agents. — Belton