WNBA Coach Tracker: Sun hires Belgian national team coach Rachid Meziane and Fever brings back Stephanie White – Blogging Sole

The WNBA’s long offseason is well underway and there has been more activity than usual this winter. Not only because of the upcoming expansion draft to fill out the Golden State Valkyries roster, but because of the unusual number of coaching changes.

So far, seven franchises have parted ways with their coach: Dream of Atlanta, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings, Indiana fever, The Sparks of Los Angeles And Washington Mystics. It’s no surprise that this group includes the five worst teams in the league last season.

The Fever were the first to bring in a new signing when they agreed to a deal with Stephanie White, who left the Sun earlier in the offseason and had previously played and coached for the Fever. The Sky then filled his vacancy by signing a deal with former The Aces of Las Vegas assistant Tyler Marsh. Then the Dream lured Karl Smesko away from Florida Gulf Coast University and the Sparks also dipped into the college ranks to hire Lynne Roberts from Utah. More recently, the Sun surprised everyone by hiring Belgian national team coach Rachid Meziane.

There are now three head coaching positions remaining vacant.

Tracking WNBA Coaches

Dream

When Dream hired Tanisha Wright in 2021, they desperately needed a leader who could help them professionalize the operation. Wright did just that, turning the Dream into a tough defensive group and leading them to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. However, the team had stagnated despite adding top draft picks, including the No. 1 overall selection. Rhyne Howardand they had the worst offense in the league this season. Wright accomplished his mission, but it was time for the Dream to move in a new direction.

It certainly appears that improving the offense was the primary focus of the Dream’s coaching staffing, as they brought in Karl Smesko, who transformed FGCU into a mid-tier machine with a powerhouse-based offense. shooting behind the arc. . Smesko had a remarkable .847 winning percentage during his 23 years at the helm of Fort Myers and led the Eagles to 14 Atlantic Sun regular season titles, 11 ASUN tournament championships and 10 NCAA tournament appearances . This will be Smesko’s first foray into the professional coaching ranks.

Sky

Perhaps the most surprising coaching change was when Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon after just one season. Weatherspoon has formed a strong bond with the Rookie of the Year finalist Angel Reese and kept the Sky in the playoff race despite a significant talent drain, poor roster construction and injuries. Ultimately, too many concerns were raised about his lack of experience, which showed up at times during the season and led to doubts about attracting free agents. Plus, she was hired before new general manager Jeff Pagliocca, and that order of operations doesn’t usually lead to a long-term partnership.

The Sky did not wait long to recruit a new recruit. They reached a deal with former Las Vegas Aces assistant Tyler Marsh. Marsh has spent the last three seasons working under Becky Hammon and won two titles with the team. Before joining the Aces, he spent time with the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors, and also worked briefly with the team. NBA G League. He specializes in player development, just like Pagliocca. Reese, job “W” on social networks shortly after the news was announced, apparently giving him his approval.

Sun

Stephanie White had real success with the Connecticut Sun, leading the team to a 55-25 record and two semifinal appearances during her two seasons at the helm, but decided to part ways with the organization after the 2024 campaign. There had been rumors about it since the Sun were eliminated from the playoffs, especially after White confirmed she was dealing with a family emergency. After White’s departure became official, Sun President Jen Rizzotti told ESPN in a statement that the two sides “parted on good terms because part of (White’s) decision-making wasn’t just about basketball.” White added that leaving the Sun was “not an easy decision” but would be “best for my family and my career”.

The Sun took its time naming a replacement for White and surprised everyone by choosing 44-year-old Frenchman Rachid Meziane. A long-time manager in his homeland, Meziane led Villeneuve-d’Ascq to the Women’s League championship last season and has also enjoyed international success as coach of the Belgian national team. He notably led the Belgian Cats to the gold medal at EuroBasket Women 2023. While Meziane is certainly a competent coach, he has no WNBA experience and it will be interesting to see what effect, if any, his hiring will impact the Sun’s ability to maintain its current core with Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones And DiJonai Carrington all entering free agency.

Wings

The Wings hired Latricia Trammell ahead of the 2023 season in an effort to improve their porous defense. She did just that, and the Wings had their best season in over a decade. They reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2008 and won a playoff series for the first time since 2009. That momentum was halted by a gruesome injury in the first half of this season. The Wings started 5-19 and never recovered. They are now in the lottery for the first time since 2021 and have the best chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick due to the pick swap they have with the Sky. Ahead of a potentially franchise-changing winter, the Wings decided to make a fresh start on the sidelines.

Fever

As for the Fever, they had a fun and successful summer. Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark This arrival made them one of the best offensive teams in the league and they made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, ending the league’s longest active playoff drought. Christie Sides was even named coach of the month for August during her post-Olympic rise. But while Sides managed to get the Fever back on track after an embarrassing run as the laughing stock of the league from 2017 to 2022, the organization ultimately felt she wasn’t the coach to take them to the next level. with Clark and Aliyah Boston.

In Stephanie White, they believe they’ve found the coach to do just that. White has a long history with the organization as a player (2000-04), assistant coach (2011-14) and head coach (2015-16). She was there when the franchise began, was on the bench for their only championship, and is the last Fever coach to win a playoff series. While there’s no doubting her credentials, perhaps the most important aspect is that she has Clark’s support.

“I spoke with Caitlin last night, and I think it’s just general enthusiasm.” White told ESPN after being hired. “I’ve been watching Caitlin play since she was in eighth grade, when I was coaching in college and covering her college games, and it was just an exciting time for me, very excited to work with her and this young team.”

Sparks

Prior to the 2023 season, the Sparks made a splash by hiring Curt Miller away from the Connecticut Sun, where he had enjoyed an extremely successful tenure that included two Finals appearances. The Sparks were hoping Miller could turn things around after missing the playoffs in 2021 and 2022. That didn’t happen, however, largely due to injuries. After earning the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, they then turned to a complete rebuild and finished in last place that season. Firing Miller seemed harsh given the circumstances, but the Sparks wanted to go in a different direction and Miller has always been better with veteran teams.

The Sparks have now filled their vacancy by hiring University of Utah coach Lynne Roberts, who has nearly three decades of experience at the collegiate level. Roberts has transformed the Utes into a regular NCAA Tournament team in recent years by playing an analytics-driven style of offense. Last season, Utah shot 95 percent of its shots from beyond the arc, at the rim or in the paint. The Sparks finished 10th in the league in offense (97.0) and 10th in 3-point percentage (32.0), and the front office is hoping Roberts can turn those numbers around.

Mystics

The Mystics fired Mike Thibault (general manager and former longtime coach) and Eric Thibault. The younger Thibault, who took over from his father ahead of the 2023 season, has been crippled by injuries and Elena Delle Donne’s decision to take a sabbatical. He guided the Mystics to the playoffs last season, but they started this campaign 0-12, which was the fourth-worst start in league history. Even though they turned things around and were in the playoff race until the last day of the regular season, it wasn’t enough to keep his job.