As the WNBA comes to the conclusion of its 27th season, its stakeholders have varying opinions on how to continue to grow the game – and grow the league. In the last decade alone, she’s cycled through multiple collective bargaining agreements and even more playoff formats in hopes of improving the WNBA’s business and its players’ experience, but there’s still work to be done .
Athleticism surveyed the league’s general managers, who are most often the top basketball executives on their teams, to get their thoughts on big issues in the WNBA. Topics included which players and coaches were worth building around, what rule changes they would like to see, and the always interesting question of expansion. The 12 directors-general were invited to participate in the exercise while benefiting from anonymity in order to be able to express themselves freely, and nine participated. Of those nine, some declined to answer specific questions, but it’s still a comprehensive look at how the league’s top decision-makers think about the present and future of the WNBA.
General managers could not select a player from their current team.
Arguably the most important job of any general manager is building a team, and the key to a competitive team in the WNBA is having at least one franchise-altering talent to build around. In the words of one executive, “someone who is a unicorn, and I think we have a few in our league.” It’s clear that most CEOs would have chosen someone from their own organization if we hadn’t added that qualifier — and rightly so!
For reference, here’s how WNBA players responded when asked in our recent anonymous player poll to choose who will be the best player in the league in five years. It’s clear that some GMs were thinking ahead with their selection of Caitlin Clark.
Here is how the eight general managers who answered the question explained their choices:
A’ja Wilson
“Two years younger than Stewie and probably one of the two best players in the world right now.”
“He is a superstar who is always available (from a health perspective) and has a significant impact on winning. She continues to improve her game and gets better every year.
Chelsea Gray
“She is our Olympic leader. She is tall. She is strong. I like a big guard. I love its versatility. She can play one, two, three. She can guard all four if you need her to.
General managers could not select a player from their current team.
Defenders have different responsibilities at different positions, making it difficult to focus on an individual player. And sometimes defensive stats can be misleading because, in the words of one general manager, teams will try to avoid involving big defenders by running plays that instead target weaker matchups.
A’ja Wilson was named the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, her second straight season earning the honor. This award was voted on by the media, however, and WNBA general managers appear to have a greater fondness for perimeter players than the voting body which did not select any guards for the All-Defense Second Team. This year’s DPOY is still on the GM list, and she’s joined by two other All-Defense First Team selections, as well as a very popular snub.
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Britney Sykes
“I think she’s tenacious. I think she’s super athletic. I think his athleticism allows him to guard bigger players, but his speed allows him to guard smaller players. I think it’s very versatile.
“When she’s locked in, she can do as good a job as anyone in our league of minimizing what the other team’s best guard can do.”
Natasha Cloud
” She is hard. She is relentless. It is physical. She takes a hit. She gives a blow. I like that kind of tenacity.
Alyssa Thomas
“When I think of the player who has the biggest impact, it’s probably Alyssa Thomas. I just think about her physicality and how uncomfortable she can make people in transition and in the half court.
Who in the league would make a great new head coach?
More than half of the WNBA’s 12 teams have now entered the offseason, and eight franchises are already facing the reality that next year’s rosters will be different. Two teams, the Phoenix Mercury And Chicago Sky, have yet to hire a full-time coach, and it’s possible more secondary opportunities will open up. We asked general managers who currently in the league, who hasn’t been a head coach and who isn’t on your team’s staff, they think would be a great head coach. Even though we asked for just one name, many general managers rejected multiple candidates, putting forward some names to watch this winter and for future seasons.
Chris Koclanes was one of the two most common responses, with three general managers throwing his name out there. It’s worth noting that our conversations took place before USC women’s basketball announced it had hired him as an assistant on Tuesday, after he worked eight seasons in the WNBA. Koclanes recently served as an assistant to the Sparks. He followed Curt Miller to Los Angeles, after spending seven seasons with Miller and the Connecticut Sun. Koclanes has plenty of playing responsibilities and several general managers have pointed to the authority he was given under Miller. “I think Curt gave him a lot of autonomy,” one said. Another added: “They kind of zoom in on him when he’s setting up the end of quarters or whatever for his team, so I think it’s really awesome that he got this space to show his talent as a coach.”
Brian January, current assistant coach of the Sun, was also mentioned three times. Although January is still in her first season as a WNBA assistant, one general manager said, “She really has that leadership, I think, that she could be a great head coach.” Another also praised her leadership, saying, “I think her experience as a player will earn the respect of our players when she gets the opportunity to be a head coach.” »
A number of other former WNBA players weighed in on the conversation, including Karima Noël-Kelly (Indiana fever) And LaToya Sanders (Washington Mystics). At the end of the season, six current head coaches were former WNBA players, with each team having at least one former player on their coaching staff. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see more former players receive coaching opportunities in the future.
Another general manager said The Aces of Las Vegas assistant coach Natalie Nakase could also be in the running for a head coaching job after his successes with the defending champions and in NBA. Freedom assistant coach Olaf Lange has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for future openings due to his experience not only in the WNBA, but also internationally. Shelley Pattersoncurrent assistant with the Washington Mystics, has more than 20 years of experience in the WNBA, having worked for more than half a dozen franchises, and was, as one general manager put it, “overlooked” for jobs in the past. .
And although Athleticism‘s prompt was aimed at possible new candidates who are currently in the WNBA, two general managers mentioned the current Indiana Pacers assistant coach. Jenny Bouckeck as another one to watch. A former WNBA player, Bouceck previously served as the team’s head coach Seattle Storm and the Sacramento Monarchs. Katie Smithcurrently assistant to the Minnesota Lynx, was also mentioned by two general managers. “She was the head coach in New York during a very difficult time for that franchise,” one said, “as they were going through an ownership change, so I think Katie deserves another chance.” Catman Pokeyassistant with the Seattle Storm, was another former head coach who one general manager said deserved a mention.
Editor’s note: The WNBA Confidential Series is part of a partnership with Michelob ULTRA. Athleticism maintains complete editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review articles before publication.
(Illustration: John Bradford / Athleticism; Photos of A’ja Wilson, left, and Caitlin Clark: Candice Ward, C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
