The WNBA is in the midst of a cycle of coaching upheaval. Since the end of the 2023 season, 13 of the now 15 WNBA franchises have hired a new head coach. Eight of those jobs have gone to men, only two have gone to former WNBA players and zero have gone to Black women.

In 2025, Noelle Quinn was one of four former WNBA players to serve as a head coach and the lone Black female coach. With the Seattle Storm choosing not to renew Quinn's contract, no Black woman is currently a head coach of a WNBA team, and barring a drastic offseason shakeup, that will be the case at the start of the 2026 season. That would make 2026 just the third season in WNBA history to tip off without a Black woman at the helm, joining 2006 and 2020.

While Natalie Nakase, who is headed into her second season leading th

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